


BOSS

by baridalive



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Boss - Freeform, Cute, Donghyuck just wants to be loved, Fluff, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Kissing, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is Whipped, M/M, Making Out, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Slow Burn, So that's a thing, a little bit of, but it's not, but that's bc it's in korea, donghyuck is sassy(tm), i'd like to think it's, lots of fluff, mafia, markhyuck, miscommunication? i think so, nct boss, needy kisses for a needy baby, soft, taeyong and donghyuck are brothers...?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-06-09 06:44:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15261681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baridalive/pseuds/baridalive
Summary: Donghyuck had never really questioned what his brother did at work until he accidentally walks in on him running across the tabletop in the conference room and trying to strangle one of the most gorgeous human beings Donghyuck has ever laid eyes upon.Alternatively:Donghyuck is infatuated with Mark, and doesn't understand the concept of "it's for your own safety".





	1. Stop Trying To Strangle This Gorgeous Human, Please, Taeyong

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by 1:40-1:45 of the BOSS MV somewhere between 1:40 and 1:45am.  
> whoops.
> 
> feedback and constructive criticism is always greatly appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong forgot about Donghyuck's birthday  
> Donghyuck goes to Taeyong's work to find him  
> Ends up breaking up a fight

Taeyong had never been particularly up front about what his job entailed, but Donghyuck had never really had a reason to question it. Taeyong worked at their late father's company, and had inherited the entire thing when their parents had died in a car crash thirteen years ago. Donghyuck knew the company had to do with technology development; hence the name _Neo Culture Technology_ , but had never decided he cared enough to take his brother up on his offer to have a tour of the thing. 

However, Donghyuck  _did_ know enough about it to know that the company was no less than flourishing in his brother's care, and it made him proud to know that  _NCT_ , which had been in their family for several generations, was carrying on the legacy it had always meant to. 

The two brothers had lived alone in the family mansion ever since the death of their parents, so they did their best to always be there for each other. Taeyong used to leave work early to make it to Donghyuck's choir concerts and contests when he as younger, and Donghyuck had been at every single one of Taeyong's many sporting events back when the elder was still in high school. The knowledge that both of them had each other's backs when no one else did created a close bond between the brothers, no matter how much they could hate each other at times.

But suddenly, on the one day of the year that Taeyong had sworn to never miss, he was nowhere to be found. Donghyuck paced the foyer, waiting for his brother to show up and take him out to their favorite sushi restaurant for Donghyuck's birthday, but it was nearing eight o'clock and the oldest brother had yet to show up. Donghyuck sighed and grabbed the keys to his car from the hook in the hallway, holding out a little bit of hope that his brother hadn't forgotten but was just held up with work.

The logical part of his brain whined that Taeyong would have texted if he was just going to be late, but after checking his phone one last time and only seeing a notification that Jaemin had texted him a happy birthday message, Donghyuck did his best to blink back the burning sensation behind his eyes, and pulled out of the driveway.

 

* * *

 

As much as Donghyuck had never been inside the company building, he knew his way there by heart. He used to go with his mom to pick his dad up from work—then Taeyong from school—and go out for a family dinner somewhere like they used to do every Wednesday night. The memories were vague, but he knew the route like he knew all of the words to Beyonce's  _Halo_. 

All Donghyuck had to do to enter the VIP parking garage was flash the badge his brother had given him for emergencies, and it was like he was royalty. Armed guards escorted Donghyuck's car all the way into the garage, and only stopped moving once he was parked right next to his brother's car; a firetruck red lamborghini. 

Knowing that Taeyong was, in fact, still here, made Donghyuck's heart sink a little lower into his stomach, but he swallowed back the sadness bubbling in his throat and marched straight into the elevator that would lead him to the lobby of the main building. The wait wasn't long for the lift to arrive, so he didn't have much time to dwell on his thoughts before he drowned them out in mild nerves and bad elevator music for the next minute.

Donghyuck took a moment to pull himself together before he exited the lift when it gave a little  _ping_ signifying its arrival on the first floor. He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a handful of seconds before deciding that he was enough of a functioning human being to be in the headquarters of his own family's company and left the elevator with a momentary confidence boost.

Yet the moment he stepped foot into the building itself, Donghyuck felt out of place among the spotless-white-marble-and-gold-accented lobby that was still teaming with men and women in immaculate suits, strutting with purpose and with grace. Donghyuck was just afraid that if he stepped in the wrong place, he would disrupt the impressive organization of everything in sight.

This was the type of environment that his parents and brother would thrive in, but Donghyuck would much rather be surrounded by his small group of friends in an arcade eating junk food in beat up Converse and distressed Levi's. Donghyuck felt small as he walked past women walking confidently in towering Louboutin heels and men who paraded their Rolex watches and Gucci suitcases as they made their way to whichever important meeting they had next.

He looked down at his ripped jeans, sneakers, plain white t-shirt, and colorful bomber jacket with a bit of disdain, realizing how out of place this casually dressed eighteen-year-old kid probably looked to the rest of the world.

Donghyuck sighed.

Yeah, definitely not his scene.

Donghyuck, thankfully, slipped under the radar of most people without having a glance spared in his direction until he had made it to the front desk where a kind woman with glasses and crow's feet wrinkles by the sides of her eye asked him how  _NCT_ corporations could help him today.

"Um, I'm here to see my brother. Could you direct me to the floor of his office, please?" Donghyuck put his hands on the counter and looked at the lady with what he hoped was confidence. It must not have made a difference because she smiled and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know who your brother is, and no one outside of the corporation heads can enter the business floors at this time. Come back another time dear." She gave him a kind smile and waited for him to take his leave, but Donghyuck had no such intention. He fished his wallet out of the pocket of his jacket, nearly dropping his keys in the process, and produced the same badge that had gotten him into the VIP parking garage.

"Oh, Donghyuck! I didn't know it was you! You're so grown up!" She exclaimed, drawing the attention of a few surrounding people before she lowered her voice. "Of course I can get you up to see Taeyong, but just a warning, he's in the middle of a meeting so you might want to wait outside until it's done." The lady typed quickly on the keyboard in front of her as she spoke.

"He promised he wouldn't schedule any meetings today..." Donghyuck mumbled to himself and frowned, but the woman paid no attention as she leaped out of her seat to retrieve something from a locked cabinet behind her. She turned around a moment later with a laminated clip-on badge in hand that had Donghyuck's information and most recent class photo on it, handing it over to him.

"This badge will get you to the floor you need to get to. Mr. Lee should be in meeting room one on floor fifty-two. Send my regards to him, if you would be so kind dearie." She spoke quickly, but not so quickly that Donghyuck couldn't catch what she was saying, so he just nodded along and took the badge with a smile equally as kind as the one she had given him earlier.

The elevator he had to take wasn't that hard to find, given that it was the only one that went up to any floor past the fiftieth, but Donghyuck couldn't ignore the cool stares he felt on his back as he pressed the button to open the gold-plated elevator doors. Even with the shimmery gold VIP badge clipped to his jacket, Donghyuck still caught some of the people walking through the lobby look at him with less than friendly eyes.

Mumbling something about the sweet release of death, Donghyuck shuffled his feet awkwardly in front of the doors until they opened to let him seek refuge inside of the mirrored walls. He pressed the button labeled "52", and sank backwards against the wall, resting his elbows against the railing that ran across the middle of the three solid walls on the elevator and praying to every god he could think of that no one would call the elevator while he was on his way up.

By some miracle, Donghyuck made it to his destination without any interruptions and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as he emerged into a long hallway with rooms off of both sides all the way down to one large wooden door at the very end.

Donghyuck made his way towards the ornately carved door at the end of the hall slowly, taking care to scan each of the plates mounted on the walls by each of the doorways leading to nothing but empty offices, but none of them said "meeting room 1". Most of them were marked with names and company positions, such as  _Jung Jaehyun, COO_ and  _Kim Doyoung, Secretary_ and  _Lee Mark, CFO_.

Letting out a quiet huff as he examined the last engraved plate, finding it to say "Meeting Room 1" in bold font, Donghyuck hovered his fist over the door for a moment to listen for any sound of an actual meeting going on inside the room, but he heard nothing except silence coming from the other side of the door.

Confused, Donghyuck stepped backwards from the meeting room door, wondering if Taeyong was even in there, or if the woman at the front desk had misdirected him, yet when he took a quick glance from side to side, Donghyuck knew he was in the right place. The name plate mounted on the wall next to the beautifully carved wooden door at the end of the hall read  _Lee Taeyong, CEO_.

Facing back to the door of the silent meeting room with a determined stance, Donghyuck skipped knocking and turned the knob to enter the room, and the sight he was greeted with was one he never would have expected.

Just as he quietly opened the door, he caught sight of his brother and his telltale dyed bright red hair jumped up from his chair at one head of the table at the same time as another male mirrored his movements from the other end. They both lept up onto the long wooden table and sprinted across the surface toward each other. 

Taeyong was the first to throw a punch, and Donghyuck was surprised he didn't audibly gasp, but he was completely frozen with shock. His brother might not have been a saint or anything like that, but he wasn't a violent person at all.

The other male, whose face Donghyuck still hadn't gotten a good look at, was wearing a red suit, and easily ducked under Taeyong's swing. He kicked his leg out to trip Taeyong, but he dodged with just as much ease. Donghyuck was stuck in horrified fascination of the fight happening on the tabletop in front of him until Taeyong finally seemed to get the upper hand when he faked out the other and caught him under his other arm in headlock.

The sight of his brother's emotionless face as the other male tucked under his arm turned an alarming shade of blue is what finally snapped Donghyuck to announce his presence and stop whatever was happening.

“You’d better explain just what in _hell_ is going on here before I leak your old mixtapes I swear to god Taeyong,” Donghyuck called out, putting a hand on his hip. Taeyong whipped his head up, bringing the other man's head with him. Donghyuck made eye contact with the male in headlock and if Donghyuck did say himself, he was straight up  _gorgeous_. With defined eyebrows, dark hair, pale skin, and a striking jawline, Donghyuck was surprised he didn't just collapse right then and there.

Donghyuck’s eye met with the handsome boy’s for a split second before a snort caused his vision to whip to an attractive sandy-haired man in a flattering checkered suit—the producer of the noise.

“ _Our_ Taeyong made mixtapes? How much are you selling them for? I’ll take them all.” The man sounded incredulous and skeptical, but the unadulterated _interest_ in his voice both made Donghyuck smile and decide he liked this man, as well as Taeyong to release the handsome boy from headlock and groan, rubbing a hand over his suddenly very tired expression.

“What do you need, Donghyuck?” The tone of his voice made Donghyuck shrink back for a moment before remembering his resolve and straightening up.

“You’re late for dinner, Tae,” He stated, tilting his head to the side, leaving his phrase open for Taeyong to explain himself. His brother, however, was not in the mood for indulging on Donghyuck’s antics. 

“I’m sorry and I’ll be home soon. Why did you come all the way out here to tell me this?” The tall redhead jumped down from the table and leaning against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because this is the first time in thirteen years you’ve been late. I’m your brother and I’m allowed to worry.” The retort came out so fast, Donghyuck couldn’t have stopped it if he had tried. Taeyong just raised a single immaculate brow, a small frown gracing his sharp features.

“And so you come bother me in the one place I tell you to not bother me?” Taeyong’s words earned him a slap on the arm from the sandy-haired man in the checkered suit and an apologetic look towards the younger of the Lee brothers.

“He needs to learn some manners,” The man said, sparing a pointed glance at the redhead who whacked him right back, hissing ‘ _Jaehyun_ ’. “What can we do for you?” The man—Jaehyun, he now knows—looks at Donghyuck with such compassion for a moment that he’s thrown for a loop. Where did his callous older brother find such a kind-hearted person like this and manage to keep him? Donghyuck made a mental note to talk about this with his brother later as he scanned the other five faces in the room.

All were irritatingly attractive, not to mention the boy in the red suit, and Donghyuck found himself shrinking from their gazes, feeling the same wave of self-consciousness that had passed through him in the lobby crash through his system again. He looked between his brother and Jaehyun, and it finally clicked that maybe he did interrupt something important.

“N-nothing. It’s not important anyway.” Donghyuck mumbled, turning to leave when a smooth voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t call your birthday unimportant, Donghyuck,” He whipped back around to see the handsome boy in the red suit finish speaking while taking a seat at the far end of the table. Out of his peripheral vision, Donghyuck spotted his brother’s face blanch and Jaehyun punch him in the arm.

“How did you know?” Curiosity overwhelmed the usage of his honorifics, but no one seemed to mind, as everyone in the room was either glaring at Taeyong or looking over at the boy in the red suit.

“It’s my job to know everything about everyone; you included.” The boy shrugged, tipping his head to the side, observing Donghyuck with unprecedented attention.

“Shit, Hyuckie—” The older Lee brother began, but the younger raised a hand to stop him.

“It’s fine. You have more important work to do, apparently,” He said, letting his gaze flicker across the handsome boy again, an amused expression sitting on those perfect features. “I’ll see you at home and cancel the reservation at the restaurant if it’s not too late already.” Donghyuck tried to not let any disappointment show on his face because his brother forgot about his birthday as he turned to walk out of the room.

There was some hurried whispering between several people as Donghyuck took his exit, but he paid no mind as he speed walked back down the hallway and pressed the call button for the elevator, silently praying that it was still on the floor and that no one else had called it during the time he was gone.

Donghyuck breathed a sigh of relief as the doors opened with a light  _ping_ almost immediately and he rushed inside, punching the button for the lobby and squeezing his eyes shut and willing no tears to fall as the doors began to close, but a hand poked across the threshold and the doors opened again.

Donghyuck dragged his eyes from his own shoes to the shoes of the foiler of his escape—which were checkered Vans—and slowly brought them up their body, taking in every curve of their body through their crisp and fitted red suit as Donghyuck hesitantly brought his eyes up to meet the waiting pair of dark brown eyes that the handsome boy possessed.

"Um," Donghyuck began eloquently. "Can I help you?" The gorgeous boy tilted his head thoughtfully.

"No, I'm here to help you." The sheer confusion must have shown on Donghyuck's face because the other boy's eyes softened as he held out his hand for a shake, which Donghyuck was a little slow to accept. "I'm Mark Lee, CFO of  _NCT_ , and I'm here to take you out to dinner for your eighteenth birthday, Donghyuck."

Donghyuck felt his face light up. "Are you serious?" It was nice to know that someone cared, especially if that someone was literally the most attractive person he'd ever seen. 

"Completely." Mark nodded and stepped into the elevator next to Donghyuck, reaching over to hit the button for the elevator doors to close. 

"Sushi?" Donghyuck asked, smile never leaving his face as he glanced over at Mark again, feeling the elevator begin its descent to the lobby. 

"Sushi." Mark confirmed, causing Donghyuck's grin to grow even wider.

And Donghyuck swore he saw the beginnings of a smile grace the lips of the gorgeous boy in the red suit.


	2. "Who is a Mark Lee" by Hyuck's Awkward Questions feat. Mark's Fun Complex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck wants to get to know Mark  
> Mark is thoroughly unamused  
> A bet is made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proofreading was nOT a thing that happened for this chapter, just a warning

It was somewhat of a mystery how Mark knew exactly which sushi place was Donghyuck's favorite, but honestly, Donghyuck wasn't really in a position to question anything. Recalling Mark's earlier comment about how knowing everything about people was his job, Donghyuck decided that he didn't really  _want_ to question anything.

The duo ended up taking Mark's sleek Tesla to the restaurant together instead of taking their separate cars—the rationale for the decision being that the moment Donghyuck saw Mark's car, he snatched the keys from the other boy and dashed, leaving Mark no choice but to follow the gleeful young redhead into his own car—and even though they were much too late for the initial reservation that Taeyong had made weeks ago, Mark said he knew someone who knew someone who knew the owner of the place, and he promised that they'd be able to get a table if they called on their way over.

Donghyuck doubted how distantly Mark said he had a connection with the owner because the by the time the two of them had made it to the hostess stand, a sharply dressed young man, not much older than Mark, grinned at him and held out his hand for a shake.

"If it isn't Mark freaking Lee. I haven't seen you in half a decade! What's good, brotha?" The man's smile was all teeth and gums and pure happiness as Mark shook his hand and clapped him on the back.

"Hey Vernon. It's going well, actually. Company is doing great, things back home are good. How's work for you?" It shocked Donghyuck to see Mark's demeanor change so much now that he was around this other man.

"Ay, now. My Vernon days are over, call me Hansol. Working at  _SVT_ is very different from the stuff I was working when I met you," Hansol grinned at Mark, an action which Mark—surprisingly—mirrored. 

"Is it really, though?" They shared another smile at Mark's comment, like they were sharing a secret, but it quickly disappeared from Hansol's face when he caught sight of Donghyuck standing behind Mark awkwardly.

"Who's this young fellow? Finally got yourself a partner? It's about damn time honestly—" Hansol was cut off by both Mark and Donghyuck shaking their heads vigorously.

"No, no. Hansol, this is Lee Donghyuck; Taeyong's younger brother. Donghyuck, this is Chwe Hansol; an old business associate of mine and a close friend. His parents own the restaurant and he has agreed to get us good seats for the evening since he's in town, and by the time I'm in a relationship, you'd better have settled down with Seungkwan." Hansol shook hands with Donghyuck, no less friendly than with Mark, but with a little less vigor, as if Hansol didn't want to scare Donghyuck away. 

"It's good to meet you, Donghyuck. Any friend of Mark's is a friend of mine. And Seungkwan and I are doing great, so it's your turn Mark." Donghyuck beamed at his new acquaintance, and Hansol smiled back before clearing his throat. "Alright, gentlemen. If I could have you follow me, please, I will be bringing you to one of our private rooftop tables for your dining pleasure." Hansol mocked a being formal for a moment before breaking his composure at the look of utter distaste on Mark's face.

"That was horrifying, Sollie," Mark feigned a shiver, but the smile never left his face as he and Donghyuck followed a quietly cackling Hansol to a set of stairs. "Please refrain from ever doing that in my presence again." 

Hansol glanced over his shoulder to shoot the duo behind him a smile, but never missed a stride up the winding staircase, and only stopped to push open the glass doors that led out onto a rooftop garden of sorts, but it was a rich man's rooftop garden.

A thin river was dug into the cement of the roof floor was full of koi fish that darted to and fro, winding through mini clusters of floral trees and bushes and plants. Each of the three dining tables that Donghyuck could spot were strung with lights and set for two and had amazing views of the Seoul skyline, but Hansol led them directly to the table with the best view of the sun setting down below the horizon.

"This is amazing, Hansol. Thank you!" Donghyuck twirled around in the center of the roof, taking in his surroundings with nothing less than pure joy at the beautiful scene laid out before him.

"Agreed. It's a miracle you could pull this together for us last minute."

"Being my friend has its perks," Hansol shrugged, setting a couple of menus down on the table.

"Just don't overwork yourself there, Hansol." Mark warned with a smile still on his lips as he took a seat at the table. Donghyuck mock frowned at the boy as he sat down across from him.

"Says the CFO of  _NCT_   _Industries_ ,"

Hansol chuckled. "Keep him, Markie. I like his spunk." 

"Will do." Mark replied, busying himself with the menu as Hansol walked away, leaving the two alone on the rooftop. Donghyuck looked around, suddenly realizing how romantic the situation would appear to an outsider and begun to fiddle with own menu nervously.

"So," Donghyuck began, winning Mark's attention over the California Roll selection. "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm twenty." Now that Mark said it, he looked rather young. It was his constant professional demeanor that had made Donghyuck think he was older than he was.

"Oh," A sudden thought struck him. "Why is someone as young as you the CFO of a huge business?" Mark set down his menu and laced his hands together on top of it.

"I met your brother when he went on a business trip to Canada, which is where I used to live. I was doing some work over there that had apparently caught his attention, so he flew to Montreal to meet with me. The moment we met, we just clicked. I was the person he needed to make his company better, and he was the person I needed to continue in the industry I was in."

"How old were you?" By this point, the two were so immersed in their conversation that they didn't see Hansol reappear with glasses of water for them both, leave them on the table, and exit again.

"Thirteen. Taeyong was sixteen when I met him for the first time. I'd consider him a brother before a co-worker." Mark traced a finger over the laminated menu as he spoke, but his eyes never left Donghyuck as he took a sip of the magically-appearing water.

"If you two are so close, why was he trying to strangle you?" Mark nearly spat out the water at Donghyuck's question, choking on laughter. Donghyuck would normally be a little more concerned with someone choking, but he was preoccupied thinking about how nice Mark's laugh was and how he wanted to hear it more often.

"I didn't even think about that. Taeyong wasn't trying to kill me or anything, but people get in arguments and so do we." That surprised Donghyuck. Taeyong and Mark were two of the most level-headed people he'd ever met, and there must have been a serious disagreement to start a fight like that.

"What was it about?" What could have possibly made them go at each other with fists? Mark just shook his head at Donghyuck's question.

"Nothing we're going to talk about now. I'll just get angry again." A little part of Donghyuck reminded him how ~~unnecessarily hot~~  good Mark looked when he was riled up, but he shoved that thought away.

"Ah, okay." Just as the silence between them was brushing the line of awkward, Hansol emerged on the roof again, this time noticed by both boys at the table.

"You two ready to order?" Hansol looked between the two, who glanced at each other in questioning.

"I think so," Donghyuck spoke carefully, waiting for Mark to say he wasn't ready, but all the other boy did was lean back in his chair and take another sip of water. "I'll have the classic teppanyaki platter with some hot tea, please." Hansol nodded and turned to Mark.

"I'll take the classic seaweed roll platter. Thanks, Hansol." The tallest boy grinned at the two, assuring them that they'd have their orders as soon as possible, and slipped back away downstairs with the menus, leaving the two alone again once more.

"How does it feel to be eighteen?" Mark asked Donghyuck, startling him a bit.

"Absolutely no different, to be honest. Did you feel any different?"

"No, not at all. Just wanted to see if anyone else did, though." 

"Got any plans for the rest of tonight? A party?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow as he took another sip of water.

"Nah, I stopped having birthday parties when I was five."

"I've never actually had a birthday party," Mark murmured thoughtfully and Donghyuck's eyes widened.

"What do you  _mean_ you've never had a birthday party?!"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because you have to have had at least one birthday party! It's like... a right of passage for childhood or something!" Donghyuck exclaimed, incredulous.

"I didn't really have much of a childhood, so that probably explains it."

"What does that mean?" Mark sighed and rubbed his face as Donghyuck leaned in.

"I never knew my father. The second my mother told him she was pregnant, he just upped and left. I was born into a household with no real parental figure because my mother worked ridiculous hours and took to alcohol as her one consistent hobby outside of that. I had to grow up fast or I wouldn't have made it, and I suppose I sacrificed a real childhood in the process somewhere."

"Mark," Donghyuck breathed after a moment of silence, but Mark held up a hand to quiet him.

"I'm fine now. Taeyong is the closest thing I've ever really had to family, and that's all I need." Donghyuck drew his brows in at the other boy's words, unbelieving that someone could have grown up like that and still ended up... well, like Mark. Shaking himself out of his momentary stupor, Donghyuck decided to intervene directly.

"Okay, well, when is your birthday then?" Donghyuck shot a smile across the table at Mark, making the other latter freeze.

"I, uh, what?" Mark seemed a little thrown by the question.

"When. Is. Your. Birthday." Donghyuck teasingly enunciated every word.

"Why?"

"So I can throw you a party when it comes around."

"Then I'm not telling you." Mark said, the corners of his lips angling upwards. 

"You're no fun." Donghyuck pouted. Mark scoffed.

"I can be fun,"

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Prove it?"

"How so?" Mark asked, and Donghyuck stopped to think before a brilliant idea struck him.

"Come to the arcade with me tonight after dinner. Let's play some games, I can kick your ass, and you can prove that you don't have a fun complex. Square deal?"

"Deal." They exchanged grins and shook hands. The smiles still hadn't left their face by the time Hansol came back up to the roof with their food.

Most of the meal consisted of Donghyuck making weak attempts to distract Mark so he could steal a piece of sushi, and Mark indulging Donghyuck in his antics by turning a blind eye whenever he caught sight of a pair of chopsticks creeping toward his plate and pretending not to notice when the number of rolls on his plate decreased by increments of two whenever Donghyuck told Mark to "look behind you because there's this really cool bird, okay?".

There wasn't any real conversation between the two until after Mark helped Donghyuck finish off his own food and a comfortable silence grew between the two for a couple moments.

"Hey, Mark?"

"Hmm?" Mark hummed, busying himself with brushing stray grains of rice from his burgundy slacks.

"If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?" Donghyuck  _definitely_ didn't ask this question because he remembered it from an article called  _160 First Date Questions_ or anything like that, of course.

It was pure, unadulterated curiosity.

Right?

Right.

Mark thought about it for a second before answering. "I think I'd like to go back to Canada. I haven't visited since I left."

Donghyuck was a little taken aback. "Even with all the shit you went through you still want to go back?"

Mark shrugged. "It's still home, you know?"

Donghyuck did know.

"Well where would you go, then?" The older asked.

"Los Angeles."

"As in the United States? Why?"

"I've loved dancing since I can remember, and there's so much life and diversity in all of the dance that goes on there, it would be a dream to be a part of it." Donghyuck couldn't stop himself from gushing a little bit about his lifelong dream to live in the City of Angels, but Mark didn't seem put off in the slightest. In fact, he seemed fully engaged with every word that spilled from Donghyuck's lips, Mark's eyes never once leaving his.

"You make L.A. sound a lot more magical than it actually is." Donghyuck felt himself perk up as his brain processed what he meant by that.

"You've been?" Mark raised an eyebrow at the younger's sudden enthusiasm.

"Twice, actually. Both strictly business and no pleasure, though." Donghyuck felt himself slump back in his seat and run a hand through this wind-blown locks in disappointment. He was hoping to talk with someone who had been there about the dance and the music and the culture, but he had had no luck in finding such a person.

"Well, I think that I'm going to go into a food coma if I stay still any longer," Donghyuck stood up and stretched, looking at Mark. "And I believe that we have a bet to make good on."

"I believe we do, Mister Lee."

"Shall we, Mister Lee?" Donghyuck playfully offered his elbow out for Mark, not actually expecting him to take it.

"We shall." 

Donghyuck was just glad that the pink and golden hues of the sunset made the blush on his cheeks nearly discernable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a tad bit of a filler chapter, but also one that has important exposition!  
> Don't worry though, Chapter 3 will be coming at you with the quality Markhyuck action you signed up for.  
> Thank you for all of the reads and kudos and comments!!


	3. Donghyuck's Dilemma, Dippin' Dots, and DDR (Not Necessarily in That Order)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark still thinks that he is fun™  
> Donghyuck is unconvinced™  
> DDR shouldn't be this competitive  
> At least one more bet is made  
> And Dippin' Dots have /never/ looked this good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> proofreading? idk her  
> (also hi i'm from the usa and i don't know how won work so everything currency-related is talked about in terms of us dollars)  
> (another sidenote: i don't know that much about DDR or how its scoring systems work, but i really wanted to add it in, so just roll with my ignorance and enjoy the markhyuck content)

It wasn't until Donghyuck and Mark were standing outside the arcade that it occurred to the former that Mark might actually beat him at some of the games. Donghyuck hadn't asked him anything about his _Pac-Man_ abilities or how good he was at _Galaga_ , so he had no idea how he'd size up against him when they would inevitably play his favorite games.

To say he was worried would be an understatement.

Donghyuck hadn't lost a game of _Galaxian_ to anyone since he was five when Jaemin tickled him and made him hit the joystick in the wrong direction, causing his ship to run into an alien and him to not get the high score of the day. It was a tragedy in little Donghyuck's world that day, and he swore to himself that he would never lose any arcade game to anyone ever again.

Between the ages of five and eight, Donghyuck had spent every weekend religiously practicing every game he could with his weekly allowance of ten quarters in hopes of becoming good enough that he would never have to experience that sinking feeling of losing at something he loved.

Donghyuck mostly grew out of that fear when he started dancing, but there was always that niggling little thought in the back of his mind saying that if he didn't work for everything he wanted eight times as hard as everyone else, he'd never get anywhere. 

Mark was the first person he'd met who he thought worked harder than him. Even with Taeyong, he got help from so many people—even asking for Donghyuck's own advice on occasion—that it made his job so much easier, but with Mark... it was hard to say.

Even though Donghyuck was the first of the two to push open the glass door to the neon madness that was his Shangri La, Mark was the one to step up to the counter and place down a fifty, asking the man working for change in quarters.

The man working the front desk was surprisingly unfazed about handing over two hundred quarters, but Donghyuck was too excited to kick Mark's ass in every game possible so he honestly wasn't paying that much attention to the transaction. 

When Mark came over to the younger boy, Donghyuck was already bouncing on his toes in excitement. Mark had to swing the plastic bag of coins and hit Donghyuck's arm for him to quit jumping for three seconds to listen to him.

"So," Mark started, looking a little warily at the huge selection of games the arcade had to choose from, the look on his face asking just what in hell he got himself into. "What's first on the agenda?" Donghyuck glanced around and faltered, but he visibly perked up with an idea within seconds.

"You choose what you want to do first. Then we'll do what I want to do and switch off from there, yeah?" Donghyuck offered. The older nodded, finally spotting a basketball shooting game on the back wall that he made a beeline for. He could handle basketball much more easily than he could handle whatever other crazy games Donghyuck would inevitably choose that night. Donghyuck stuck out his tongue and frowned at Mark's selection, but didn't argue.

Mark inserted two quarters into each of the two games that were lined up side by side on the back wall.

"I'm going to lose," Donghyuck pouted, twisting one of the mini plastic basketballs in between his hands thoughtfully as Mark. "You're probably good at this."

Mark snorted. "You're probably good at  _every other_ game here." He pointed out, to which the younger just grinned.

"Touché." And the game begun.

"A lot of these are old retro games from America that I used to play when I was younger because apparently Canada didn't have any originality in that department," Mark's surprisingly humorous comment caught Donghyuck off guard just as the older started the two games. Donghyuck panicked, missing his first shot, his second, his third, and only making his fourth to score his first point of the game when Mark was already at ten.

"You cheated." Donghyuck told Mark through gritted teeth, but not moving his eyes away from the hoop that lie tantalizingly across from him, a mere five feet away. He caught Mark stifle another snort out of his peripheral vision, but ignored it, choosing to try and focus at the game at hand. The game—Donghyuck noticed—that he was dangerously close to losing by not just one, but two landslides. 

"I did no such thing. You just weren't paying attention." Mark pointed out, scoring another three points as he spoke. 

The buzzer for the game went off just then, signaling that it was over.

Donghyuck glanced at the thirty-eight point difference between his score and Mark's, then proceeding to fall onto the floor dramatically.

"I may never recover from this devastating blow to my fragile ego," Stifling a grin, he put the back of a hand on his forehead, completing his faux meltdown.

"Well, I can say as of right now you're bad at two things." Mark bent down to offer Donghyuck a hand.

Donghyuck actually had the gall to look even minorly offended as Mark helped him up.

"Basketball  _and_ acting."

"Yeah, I'll stick to dancing, thanks." Donghyuck commented.

"You dance?"

"I have since I could walk."

"Ah,"

A silence fell between the two and it was painfully obvious all of a sudden that they were still holding hands. Donghyuck forced down a blush as he gently removed his hand from Mark's, using it to brush imaginary dirt off of his jeans, hoping his cheeks didn't look as warm as they felt.

"What's next?" Mark asked, breaking the tension. "It's your turn to choose the game." Donghyuck nodded and looked around at his choices before walking just a few feet over to the _Galaxian_. He turned back and grinned at a mildly terrified looking Mark.

"You're going to lose." Donghyuck slipped a quarter into the machine and started the game.

"I don't doubt it." Mark murmured over his shoulder as he watched Donghyuck expertly navigate through the first six levels without losing a single life. It was only on level seven that he lost his first life, leaving Mark astounded and Donghyuck pouting.

"I'm usually better than this," He frowned in concentration, determined to not lose another life before at least level ten. 

"I don't want to see how good you are at this when you're in practice." Mark exaggerated a shudder.

Donghyuck had managed to survive all the way to level thirty-three before finally losing his last life. He wasn't overly proud of himself, but it was Mark who grimaced when the high score page scrolled past.

"Who is 'Haechan' and why do they have nineteen of the top twenty scores?" Mark's eyes were glued to the neon display as numbers flashed scrolled across the screen.

"Aww, I used to have all twenty." Donghyuck stuck his lower lip out and stepping back from the game so Mark could have his turn.

" _You're_ Haechan?"

Donghyuck nodded proudly. "Yup. That's the screen name I used for all of the games here. You'll see it more as we go through the games." Mark raised an eyebrow in an odd mixture of fear and curiosity.

When Mark took a shot at playing _Galaxian_ , he had barely made it to the fifth level before  _GAME OVER_ flashed across the screen in bright red letters, reflecting in his dark brown eyes that were still widened in surprise.

"I think I'll stick with basketball," Mark said quietly, making Donghyuck laugh and pat his shoulder.

"Your turn to choose the game, Sporty."

"I hope you know that I'm going to continue to pick things that I actually have a chance at winning," Mark warned as he spotted an air hockey table. Donghyuck groaned and followed him reluctantly.

The game of air hockey went as expected. Mark had scored nine of the ten points needed to win before Donghyuck had two. Donghyuck had accepted his fate of losing most of the games that Mark would choose by this point, his fear long forgotten as he skipped over to  _Pac-Man_ , dragging Mark by his forearm.

"You know, I might actually stand a chance with this one," Mark commented as Donghyuck started the game, but as the game went on and on and Donghyuck's score climbed higher and higher, he spoke again. "I revoke my previous statement."

The two of them continued to grow more comfortable around each other until the point where Mark would let Donghyuck half drape himself over the older as he was trying to finish a level of  _Centipede_ or let Donghyuck maneuver the joystick—with Mark's hand still on it—while the younger tried to teach him how to execute a specific move in  _Dig Dug II_. Mark helped Donghyuck aim the fake gun when they played a shooting game, or he'd lean over and steady his hips when he finally convinced Donghyuck to give the motorcycle simulator a shot.

It was nearing eleven o'clock when Mark flexed his hand and fingers, feeling how sore they were for holding onto joysticks and pressing buttons for the past couple hours. He reached into the bag and realized that they had six quarters left.

"Hey, why don't you choose one more game, then we call it quits? If we don't stop soon, I'm going to need carpal tunnel surgery," Mark said, turning to Donghyuck who had just finished his last round playing  _Xevious_ , holding up the almost empty bag of change.

"Sounds good, but I don't know what we haven't played yet." Donghyuck thought aloud, scanning the arcade. "Let's walk and find something?" Mark nodded as they wandered the aisles until Mark stumbled upon  _Dance Dance Revolution_ that was tucked into the back corner of the store, almost hidden between  _Q*bert_ and  _Mappy_.

"I used to be good at this."

"I think I'm better." Donghyuck walked up next to Mark and leaned his elbows on the back bar.

"Bet." Donghyuck laughed and wrinkled his face at the older's word. 

"Please never say that again."

"Sorry, I picked it up from my friends and it apparently stuck." Donghyuck feigned a gasp.

"Did  _Mark Lee_ just say that he has  _friends_? It's a miracle!"

"Shut up, Hyuck. Now are we going to play or not?" Mark stepped up onto the board, crossing his arms in expectation. Donghyuck willed his heart to stop freaking beating so fast just because Mark had called him "Hyuck" as he joined Mark on the board.

"Let's dance," Donghyuck replied, selecting  _ABSOLUTE_ as the first song. 

To say it was intense would have been an understatement. Whereas Mark looked to be trying his hardest, Donghyuck was only giving eighty percent of his effort because twenty percent had to be dedicated to not looking at Mark and thinking about how good he looked when he had that serious expression. Thankfully, Donghyuck ended up winning anyway, even if it wasn't by any more than a hundred points.

"Keep up, Sporty. Because I'm feeling generous, you can choose the next song." Mark playfully glared as Donghyuck gloated, but elected to take Donghyuck up on his offer of picking the song. Selecting  _Trip Machine_ , he backed up to his side of the board, shimmying out of his suit jacket and tossing it to the side, rolling his shoulders back.

"Good luck," Mark told him, and boy did Donghyuck need all of the luck he could get. It was pretty straightforward once he got the footspeed down, but he was already behind by quite a bit and never managed to catch up by the end of the song.

"C'mon, Hyuck," Mark grinned at him. "I thought you said you danced."

"Oh,  _now_ you're asking for it. Final dance, winner takes all and loser has to buy ice cream."

"Deal." They shook hands and agreed on  _L'amour et la Liberte_ for the final battle. Slipping the final two quarters into the slot, the music began. Donghyuck only had the spare mental capacity for two thoughts: Mark shouldn't look this hot dancing to a cheesy French song under crappy arcade lighting but he does, and wow Donghyuck really wants free ice cream.

The two scores were neck and neck until the very end when Mark fell behind pace and almost missed a step—Donghyuck had to physically stop himself from jumping up and down in happiness and relief—and that was how the final round ended.

The final beat passed, and Donghyuck nearly leaped over the back railing in excitement. "I won! You owe me ice cream, Sporty!"

Mark just laughed, picking up his suit jacket from the ground and slipping it back on. "What kind of ice cream?"

Donghyuck tilted to his head to the side for a moment before answering. "Dippin' Dots." Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Dippin' Dots it is, then."

* * *

 

Mark had remembered driving past a little Dippin' Dots cart a block or so away from the arcade on their way in, so they ended up walking to go get dessert.

"Why Dippin' Dots of all ice cream choices?"

"I was craving, don't judge."

Mark raised his hands in defense before stuffing them back in his pockets. "Just asking," He nudged Donghyuck with a shoulder. "Nothing meant by it."

Donghyuck grinned over at him and nudged him back. "I know." 

Mark pushed Donghyuck with his shoulder again, but a little harder this time and enough to make the younger stumble to keep his balance.

"Hey!" Donghyuck pouted, but grabbed a handful of grass from the ground as he caught his balance and held it behind his back. "That was mean,"

"Sorry," Mark didn't look even remotely sorry as he failed to restrain the grin on his face when he looked over his shoulder at the younger. Donghyuck walked a little faster to catch back up to Mark's side. They walked in comfortable silence for a few seconds before Donghyuck couldn't hold back a smile of his own, catching Mark's attention.

"What's so funny?" 

"This," Donghyuck jumped up, placing his handful of grass on the top of Mark's head and pushing him to the side as he ran ahead, laughing.

" _Hey_!" Mark yelled, shaking grass out of his hair as he takes off after the younger who shrieks and runs faster.

It must look really weird to an outsider.

A boy in a suit with grass in his hair chasing after a slightly smaller boy in jeans and a bomber jacket, both of them yelling at each other and laughing breathlessly as they ran in the direction of a Dippin' Dots cart.

Odd, yes, but probably not the weirdest thing people had ever seen.

Just as Donghyuck thought he had made it to the safety of the cart, Mark caught up to him and picked him up by the waist from behind, swinging him around as Donghyuck laughed and let it happen.

Donghyuck had tears in his eyes from laughing so much, especially after catching sight of all the grass that was still in Mark's hair and all over his shoulders when he was finally set back down.

Mark left one arm lightly around Donghyuck's waist as they walked up to the kind middle aged woman who was sitting behind the Dippin' Dots cart. 

"Hello," Mark greeted her. "Could we have one medium chocolate and... Hyuckie what do you want?" He turned to the younger who felt his cheeks grow warm at the nickname.

"Uh, I'll have the strawberry lemonade," Mark squeezed Donghyuck's side lightly when the younger started to laugh again.

"And one medium strawberry lemonade." Mark finished, giving the woman a warm smile. 

"Six dollars, please." The woman said. Mark started for his wallet, but Donghyuck beat him to it. He grabbed his own wallet from his jacket pocket and placed a five and a one on the counter.

"Hyuck... the bet... I was going to pay for them." Mark knit his eyebrows together, confused. "That was the deal."

"Mark, chill. I used the quarters that you got to beat you, _and_ you bought me dinner, so think of it as a thank you." Donghyuck snuggled himself a little closer into Mark's hold, feeling a rush of confidence. 

"But it's your birthday," Mark pressed, but Donghyuck wouldn't hear any of it.

"And I can do whatever I want so take the free food." Mark just sighed and held him a little tighter as the woman filled the plastic cups with the little ice cream beads.

"Fine, but I'm paying next time."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sporty."

The two got their Dippin' Dots, thanking the woman, and headed back in the direction of the arcade and Mark's car. They walked in comfortable silence for a little bit, shoulder to shoulder now because Mark needed two hands to eat his ice cream.

"Is that going to be a thing?" The older suddenly asked.

"Is what?" Donghyuck looked up at him, taking another spoonful of the dots.

"You calling me 'Sporty'?" Mark met his eyes, raising an eyebrow. Donghyuck noticed he tended to do that a lot.

"Yup." Donghyuck nodded, taking the spoon out of his mouth and smiling.

"I need to come up with something for you, then." Mark gazed off in from of him, lost in thought.

"Oh, boy." Donghyuck ran a little bit ahead and turned around to walk backwards in front of Mark. "Okay, hit me. What are your ideas."

"Sunshine." Mark said with a straight face, but his eyes danced with humor. Donghyuck almost choked on his Dippin' Dots.

"That's a no."

"Dot?"

"Oh my god that's actually worse. Didn't think it was possible, but I was wrong."

"Non-Sporty." 

"I will castrate you with this spoon if you continue." Donghyuck threatened, pointing his utensil at Mark with as much intimidation as he could muster, but it wasn't a lot because he was already on the verge of laughing.

Mark hummed with laughter, his dark brown eyes sparkling as he pressed the back of his plastic spoon to his lips in thought. Donghyuck had never envisioned himself being jealous of a spoon, yet here he was. Being envious of a freaking plastic spoon. Donghyuck tried not to watch too closely as Mark took another scoop of Dippin' Dots and slipped into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Since when the hell did Dippin' Dots look this hot?

"How about Haechan?" Donghyuck almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and was forced to turn around and walk forwards next to Mark again.

"I'm not totally opposed, actually." Donghyuck nestled himself into Mark's side, looking up at him as he responded.

"Really?" Mark glanced down, not quite believing the response.

"I still think you could do better, but it'll do for now."

"I'll take it."

The only other conversation they had when walking back to Mark's car was when a piece of grass fell from his head and into Donghyuck's Dippin' Dots, making him exclaim that they were contaminated and he couldn't eat them. Mark's only response was to switch their cups, and Donghyuck was happy and quiet again as he snacked on the chocolate dots.

They had both finished their cups by the time they walked past the arcade again, so they got rid of the cups and spoons in the recycling bin by the building before climbing into Mark's car to head home. Donghyuck rested his head against the cool window and let his eyes close, not realizing just how exhausted he was until now.

"Hey Hyuckie?" Mark shook his leg. Donghyuck pried open an eye and hummed noncommittally in Mark's general direction, making the older huff with a laughter. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Donghyuck nodded, head still against the window. "I'm just tired from kicking your ass at DDR."

"Bet." Mark made fun of his earlier comment, making Donghyuck laugh.

"Maybe I should just start calling you Betty instead of Sporty."

"Oh god I take it all back." Mark chuckled as he turned the car on and pulled out of the parking lot next to the arcade. When Donghyuck didn't respond, Mark glanced over at him, seeing both of his eyes closed again.

"Haechannie," Mark placed a hand on Donghyuck's leg again.

"Hmm?" Donghyuck hummed.

"I'm just going to take you straight home. You're too tired to be driving anywhere tonight, birthday boy."

"Bet," Donghyuck mumbled with a smile on his face. They both laugh, and Donghyuck fell asleep to the sound of a smooth engine, the feeling of a smooth-skinned hand just above his knee, and Mark's smooth voice telling him to go to sleep.

The next time he opened his eyes, Donghyuck had Mark's suit jacket tucked between his head and the hard window—Mark must have taken it off at a stop somewhere and placed it there—and Mark's soft voice in his ear.

"Hyuckie. You're home." Donghyuck was glad he was wearing long sleeves so the goosebumps on his arms weren't visible. "Time to get up, sleepyhead." Mark's breath tickled his ear, making the little hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention.

With a little groan, Donghyuck sat up in the seat of Mark's Tesla and blinked the sleep out of his eyes, noting that the clock on the dashboard said it was nearing twelve-thirty in the morning. A thought occurred to him just then.

"You won."

"What?"

"The bet. You won the bet." Mark still looked a little lost on exactly which bet Donghyuck was talking about, so he sighed and continued. "You're officially a little bit of fun."

"Ah, that's what you were referring to." Mark said, pressing the button to unbuckle himself. "I'm glad you think so." He reached over and unbuckled Donghyuck before getting out of the car and walking around to help Donghyuck out.

Donghyuck stepped out of the car and stretched, rubbing his eyes before handing Mark's suit jacket back to him. "Thanks for the pillow, Sporty." His voice was quieter than usual and a little more breathy, making Donghyuck cringe a little bit as he spoke.

Mark just chuckled, accepting the jacket before putting an arm around Donghyuck's waist and leading him up to his his front door. Mark slipped his hand inside the pocket of Donghyuck's jacket and pulled out his keychain—which had been nestled in between the lining of the pocket and his wallet—and pressed it into Donghyuck's hand to open his front door with. 

"Thanks for making my birthday worthwhile, Mark." Donghyuck spoke, his voice a little more clear now. "It means a lot more than you think." 

Mark laughed. "Of course, Haechan. I wouldn't have rather spent my night any other way." He removed his arm from Donghyuck's waist and looked like he was about to leave when Donghyuck spotted something in his hair.

"Sporty, hold on." Donghyuck stuck his keys back in his pocket as Mark turned back toward him. "You still have grass in your hair." The younger grinned as the older looked a little flustered all of a sudden, trying to find out where the grass was and get it out.

Donghyuck laughed and stepped forward, reaching his hands forward, using one hand to cup the opposite cheek—to steady both himself and Mark—while his other fingers carded through Mark's hair until the last few blades of grass fell out. 

It wasn't until Mark moved a hand to Donghyuck's cheek—mirroring his own hand placement—that Donghyuck realized just how close they were. He slowly dragged his eyes from Mark's hair to meet the older's dark brown eyes. Their lips were inches apart; it would be painfully easy to just tip his head up and place Donghyuck's on Mark's, but before Donghyuck could act upon his thoughts, Mark's eyes widened a little bit and pulled his head back.

Mark's hand lingered on Donghyuck's cheek for a moment before that, too, disappeared, taking Mark's warmth with it. Donghyuck could feel himself sink back onto his heels and stick his hands back in his pockets, but he was numb otherwise.

"I'm... sorry." Mark choked on his words. "Goodnight, Donghyuck." With those final words—no nickname or anything—Mark spun around and left.

It was only once Mark's car had backed down the driveway and disappeared past a curve in the street that Donghyuck moved. It was a little difficult to wrap his mind around what happened, but he knew that he was about to kiss a really hot guy as a perfect end to his eighteenth birthday, yet the attractive boy had pulled away at the last second and driven away.

When Donghyuck finally dragged himself into bed—it was well past one by that point—he had dozens more questions than answers and had no idea what to do with one gorgeous mister Mark Lee.

Donghyuck knew one thing, though.

He was  _whipped_ for this boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi wow the support i've received on this story is highkey overwhelming  
> i'm so thankful that everyone loves it as much as I do  
> all of your kudos and comments just motivate me to write more, so please keep it up!  
> you're all amazing and i honestly couldn't ask for any better readers!!  
> (and a fun little note to anyone who cares: i did a bit of quick math and calculated that little donghyuck spent around a total of $39,000 us dollars over the three years of his arcade obsession. gives you an idea of 1) how rich the Lee family is and 2) just how dedicated this lil shit was to never losing a game of galaxian. ever.)  
> and we're also going to conveniently ignore the fact that a bag of two hundred quarters weighs like 40 pounds :)  
> <3


	4. Donghyuck vs The Korean Homo-Sapiens' Agenda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong and Donghyuck have a brotherly heart-to-heart  
> The press ask more questions than Alex Trebek on weed  
> Donghyuck + NCT = a lot of gay people in one room  
> (also, Mark becomes the panicked boy we all know and love)  
> And the Dreamies (finally) make their debut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: homophobia, and a lot of it. This is going to be a recurring theme and I'll make sure to add the warning in specific chapters that feature it, but it's necessary to add in, so I apologize in advance.  
> and hi whoops i 11/10 forgot to post this earlier but here it is :)  
> i'll try to be more prompt in the future!  
> <3

Donghyuck woke up the next morning with a busy mind and a mild ache in his feet, both of which were products of the previous night. He crawled out of bed and took a cold shower to wake himself up, but it didn't do anything to quell his racing thoughts. Donghyuck sighed aloud as he pulled on some clothes—just joggers and a t-shirt—before padding downstairs to the kitchen for some breakfast, his philosophy being that food would help him feel better.

Donghyuck didn't get too far with his plan to eat however, because the moment he had put a hand on the refrigerator door, there was a distinct clearing of a throat. He whirled around to see his brother, and the moment Donghyuck registered the expression on the older Lee's face, he knew he was in trouble.

Taeyong was leaned against the counter in full business attire—he must have important meetings going on today—with his dyed red hair styled neatly and wearing a frown. Donghyuck froze, not knowing what he'd done, but knowing that it was bad and there would be consequences.

"Got anything to tell me?"

"What do you mean?" Donghyuck was completely confused, and Taeyong just reached out onto the counter and slid a magazine across to Donghyuck.

"Care to explain?" The tabloid featured a front page titled  _New Couple in Town_ , clearly trying to make a joke out of  _NCT_ , yet it was the picture behind the emboldened red words that made Donghyuck almost drop it.

It was of him and Mark—the pictures obviously taken last night. It was of when Mark had picked him up and swung him around by the Dippin' Dots cart, both of their faces alight with life and laughter. Donghyuck tried not to stare at how good Mark looked with that smile on his face. With shaking fingers, he flipped to the page in the magazine with the page-long article about the photo.

_New Couple in Town?_

_The CFO of NCT Corporations was seen out on what appears to be a date with the CEO's younger brother Lee Donghyuck._

_It was Lee Donghyuck's eighteenth birthday and Lee Mark (CFO of NCT) is twenty, so it makes us wonder if them not appearing together in public until just now has anything to do with legal issues._

_What will this mean for NCT's stock and their new tech unveiling happening tomorrow night?_

_It could tarnish their reputation at the very least, but NCT could even lose big-time investors like BTS Inc. or SVT Co., but neither Kim Namjoon nor Choi Seungcheol have commented._

_An unnamed representative from NCT Corp. stated that "_ The situation is a misunderstanding, as that photo is taken out of context. Lee Taeyong, Lee Mark, and Lee Donghyuck will not give any comments on the photo at this time, but all will be explained within the business day."

Donghyuck felt like throwing up as he scanned through the rest of the article. It talked about how other companies that had gone through gay scandals had ended up never doing as well as they had before, and there were even some quoted comments from readers that explained how disgusted they were with the situation.

"I... we just... nothing happened—" A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder and the tabloid was taken from his trembling hands. 

"Hyuckie," Taeyong began, but Donghyuck rushed on.

"Nothing happened, I swear! We just went out as friends and then he was chasing me when we went out for ice cream and that's when the photo was taken!"

Taeyong sighed and pulled the smaller boy into his chest, rubbing his shoulders. "I'm not mad, Hyuck. I just wish that you could have been smart enough to hide your relationship with Mark a little better from the public—"

" _Tae_! We're not dating!"

"You're not?!"

"Seriously! He just took me out for dinner, then we went to the arcade. All we did after that was stop for ice cream, then he dropped me off! Nothing. Happened."

"That sounds an awful lot like a date, Hyuck. You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

There was silence between the brothers for a moment before Donghyuck spoke up again, voice softer this time.

"So you wouldn't hate me if I was gay?"

"What? God, no! Of course not!" Taeyong huffed. "I could never hate you."

"Really?" Donghyuck moved to grab some cereal and a bowl from a nearby cabinet.

"Really."

"Why?"

"Because you're my brother and I love you." Taeyong said, poking Donghyuck's nose, almost making him spill cereal.

"So not because of Jaehyun?"

"Jaehyun? What do you—" Donghyuck raised an eyebrow as Taeyong's voice went up.

"It was just a hunch at first, but now I'm curious. What's going on with you and Jaehyun, dear brother of mine?" Donghyuck leaned forward teasingly.

"Absolutely nothing. Nothing is going on between us, we haven't been on dates, we haven't kissed, and I definitely haven't pretended to have late business meetings so we can go stay together for a night at a nice hotel and—"

"That's a lot of detail for none of it being true." Donghyuck leaned back against the counter, shoveling a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

"That doesn't prove anything."

"You never get this flustered over anything so I think that speaks for itself."

"But we're not—"

"Taeyong, don't lie to me." Donghyuck pointed his spoon at Taeyong. "Choose your next words carefully." Taeyong visibly deflated, but still hesitated a moment before answering.

"Okay. We're not officially boyfriends or anything, but we've been on dates and we've hooked up."

"Just for the sake of curiosity, define ' _hooked up_ ' please."

"We had sex." Donghyuck whistled and punched Taeyong in the arm.

"I'm proud of you bro. Making those moves."

Taeyong cringed. "Please stop. I'm not related to you." Donghyuck just laughed between bites of cereal as he finished up bis breakfast and cleaned up.

"So, Tae," Donghyuck paused as he was closing the dishwasher. Taeyong hummed in acknowledgement as he tapped away on his phone. "Are you gay then? Or... what?"

Taeyong looked up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "To be honest, it had never really occurred to me until I met Ten,"

"Ten as in owns-the-dance-studio-that-I-practice-at Ten?"

"Yeah. He was my first boyfriend and it kind of flipped a switch. I'd never really been interested in anyone, girls or boys, until after the experience. I think I identify as gay."

Donghyuck absorbed the information, processing it before he spoke again. "So am I gay too? I don't like girls."

Taeyong shrugged. "Probably, but that's not something I can answer for you. That's one of those things that you have to figure out by yourself."

The younger nodded and was about to exit the kitchen before stopping and turning around. 

"Why are you still here? You're usually long gone by now." Donghyuck leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

The older fidgeted with the hem of his suit jacket like he didn't have to wear one almost every day. "I stayed because I wanted to talk to you about the company." Donghyuck perked up with interest, but stayed quiet and waited for his brother to continue. "So, this is a family company, and it's been with us for generations."

"I know that—" Donghyuck started, but Taeyong just plowed on.

"You're part of the Lee family still, and I know the company isn't exactly where your aspirations lie," Taeyong heaved a sigh. "I was wondering if you would at least like to tour it. See what  _NCT_ is like, check out the facilities, and then make your final decision?"

"We've had this conversation before, Tae."

"And we'll keep having it until you agree to come tour the company with me." Donghyuck opened his mouth to refuse once more, but Taeyong beat him to it. "It's just a tour, Hyuck. You can say no, but I want you to at least have a look and  _then_ you can tell me your final answer." Donghyuck grimaced, reluctantly nodding his head. 

"Fine. What are the attire requirements for this? I felt—and probably looked—super out of place last time when I came yesterday." Donghyuck asked, and Taeyong punched a fist in the air. Way to be subtle, Tae.

"Uh, a nice suit is all you need. A tie won't be necessary for you, but you can wear one if you want to." Taeyong's face-splitting grin was infectious enough to make Donghyuck smile back at his literal puppy of a brother.

"Okay. I'll meet you back down here in ten." Donghyuck told him, and had barely left the kitchen before he heard Taeyong let out a whoop. Smiling to himself and rolling his eyes, Donghyuck made his way back up to his room to pick out a suit; he had a company to impress.

* * *

 

 

 "You're one lucky bastard that I know both Kim Namjoon and Choi Seungcheol personally and that we regularly go out for beers and discuss our non-boyfriends." Taeyong spared a glance at Donghyuck before turning his eyes back to the road.

"What?" Donghyuck stopped fiddling with his cufflinks and looked across at his brother in the driver's seat of his bright red lamborghini.

"There is a surprising amount of gay men in this industry."

"Holy shit, really? What else don't I know? Spill." Donghyuck's eyes widened.

Taeyong grinned and took a left. "Namjoon is dating his secretary Seokjin, and Seungcheol is—maybe not  _dating_ , but—at least screwing his Operations Manager, Jihoon."

"Definitely not what I was expecting, but at least you won't lose their investments." Taeyong frowned when Donghyuck spoke.

"We still have to make a statement about that so we don't lose  _other_ investors." Donghyuck sighed, leaning his head on the window while trying not to mess up his gelled hair.

"I suppose so, but what do I say?"

"Just talk about how you two had just met each other that day and how your relationship is strictly platonic." Taeyong pulled into the VIP parking lot, not even having to flash his badge because of his distinctive car. "Don't worry too much. Mark will be there to make a statement as well."

Donghyuck's heart seized up a little bit at the thought of seeing Mark again after the end of their evening together. Would anything be different? Donghyuck mentally slapped himself. He couldn't let thoughts like this overwhelm him. He had his first official statement to make that would help the company, an official tour to take, and an entire country to please. He couldn't allow himself to dwell on thoughts of Mark for too long.

Until Mark came out into the parking garage to meet Donghyuck and Taeyong, who were just climbing out of the car when the elevator doors opened and he came into view.

"Taeyong. I came as soon as I got your text. What do we need to do?" Mark didn't look anxious enough for those words to be coming from his mouth. Nope. He looked extraordinarily put together, clean, gorgeous, and polished. Everything Donghyuck wished he could be, but wasn't.

"Mark, good. Walk with us." Mark nodded and glanced at Donghyuck. He might have been imagining it, but Donghyuck swore he saw a little smile flicker across his lips when they made eye contact. The trio made their way to the elevator and on into the lobby right after. Taeyong was talking softly to Mark the whole time, most likely giving him instructions on how to handle the situation.

As soon as they made it to the lobby, Mark gave both of them a nod and headed off to a meeting room that was just across the room, and disappeared inside.

"That's where all of the press is lurking. You'll give your statement there. I just sent Mark to stall them for a moment so I can prepare what I need to say for when I speak after you two." Donghyuck hummed and nodded as Taeyong spoke, unconcerned with the fact that his brother could understand what he was thinking just from the expression on his face.

Taeyong put a hand on Donghyuck's back and guided him right past the front desk with the kind lady who he talked to yesterday. 

"Don't I need a badge?" Donghyuck asked, confused.

"As far as they're concerned, you're my consultant for the day." Taeyong directed him to the door that would lead him into the meeting room with the press and Mark waiting for him.

"You can do that?"

"Who's gonna stop me?" Taeyong snorted.

Donghyuck considered that for a moment before shrugging. "Fair point," He said before putting a hand on the handle of the door to the conference room

"And hey, Hyuck," Taeyong put a hand on Donghyuck's shoulder.

"Yeah?" Donghyuck turned to face him.

"I never got the chance to say it to you yesterday, but happy birthday, lil bro. I'm so lucky to have you in my life and I never meant to take you for granted. I'm so sorry I forgot." Taeyong looked down at his shoes but Donghyuck grinned and 

"It's alright, TY Track."

"Please stop calling me that."

"I still have your mixtapes!" Donghyuck teasingly warned, but pushed through the doors to the meeting room before his brother could strangle him. He slid into the room with silence and grace that surprised himself as he walked up behind Mark who was on the stand already.

"Lee Donghyuck is now here to give his statement. Mine will follow Lee Donghyuck's, and Lee Taeyong's will follow mine. Questions will be taken after Lee Taeyong's statement." Mark oozed confidence when he was up there, 

"Hello," Donghyuck swallowed thickly before continuing. "I'm Lee Donghyuck, brother of  _NCT_ CEO, Lee Taeyong. This company has been in my family for generations, and I will not be the one to ruin that. The photos that were taken last night of Mark Lee and me were taken completely out of context and have caused an underserved scandal. Mark and I are just friends who spent the evening together on my birthday, and were playing around. There is nothing to be said about this picture that automatically means that Mark or I are homosexual."

Donghyuck took a shaky breath and lowered his voice a little bit. "Mark and I are merely good friends who were spending an evening together with strictly platonic intentions and actions, and there is nothing more to it than that." As much as it pained the younger to say it, that was wat had to be said. He never had to talk about if he wished things between him and Mark were different. The press erupted with questions when Donghyuck took a step back from the stand, but Jaehyun—who he hadn't seen before—quieted them down.

As Donghyuck stepped down from the microphone and turned back to trade spots with Mark, said boy stopped him and whispered in his ear. "You have a way with words, Lee Donghyuck." Before Donghyuck could reply, Mark stepped up to the microphone and Donghyuck was forced to take his place back behind.

"Lee Donghyuck speaks the truth. I had just met him the previous day, and we decided to get to know each other given our common connection is Taeyong. What the pictures show is us horsing around on our way to go end the night. There doesn't have to be a romantic context with every photo taken, and if understood incorrectly, a scandal like this happens, and that is something  _NCT_ cannot afford at the moment. This entire happening is a complete misunderstanding, and I hope that the tabloids choose to learn from this."

Donghyuck couldn't help but wonder if Mark had been as thrown by Donghyuck's words as Donghyuck had by Mark's. Knowing that they were both full-on lying to the press—and by extension, the public—about what was going on between them made Donghyuck's stomach churn. It made him wonder what they would do if they ever  _did_ start a relationship. What would they tell people then?

He was growing more anxious by the second until he felt two hands on his shoulders, anchoring him back down. He turned his head just enough to see that it was Ten, his old dance instructor. Ten was also part of the company, head of Thai relations, but he still owned his own dance studio and ran that on the side. Donghyuck leaned back a little bit into Ten's hold, relaxing in the older's presence because they had known each other since Ten and Taeyong were in grade school together.

Ten squeezed Donghyuck's shoulders and rubbed little circles into the base of his neck with his thumbs, a small but comforting gesture that left Donghyuck significantly more relaxed than before. Donghyuck was actually tempted to close his eyes, but Mark was stepping down from the stand and Taeyong was stepping up, so Donghyuck shook the sudden tiredness out of himself so he could pay attention.

"Whoever took that picture is extraordinarily lucky that Donghyuck is no longer a minor. As it was his eighteenth birthday yesterday and he was of legal age by the time the photo was taken, I cannot press charges, but be assured that I would have if I could. Donghyuck is my little brother, who wants to lead a life with privacy and discretion, and I believe that it would be greatly appreciated if you all can respect that. 

"As we saw, nothing inappropriate or wrong happened between Mark and him, but it's disgusting to think that there are people out there who make money on trying to ruin their lives by taking photos of them without their consent, and putting it in such a light that had no context to what was happening around it, and ultimately creating a scandal out of nothing.

"Please take into consideration the lives you may be affecting when you make an act like this. It has affected not only the lives of the people who have spoken today, but also the lives of everyone working at this company and their families.  _NCT_ Industries would like to officially state that no events similar to today's will be tolerated and you can expect legal action on our part if it happens again. Thank you."

Donghyuck swore Taeyong had stopped breathing in the middle of his speech somewhere because all of the words just continued to flow out in an endless stream, and by the end of it, Taeyong looked to be breathing a little hard as he nodded and stepped backwards. Taeyong glanced over his shoulder and winked at Donghyuck before taking a step forward again and asking for questions.

"You can go," Ten leaned his head down next to Donghyuck's and whispered gently into his ear. "Leave before you get stuck." Donghyuck numbly nodded and allowed himself to be directed out of the room by Ten's hand which still rested on his shoulder.

Donghyuck didn't realize how suffocating that room had been until he stepped back out into the lobby and took a gulp of cooler air. "What now?" He asked Ten.

The silver-haired man shrugged and walked toward to elevator that Donghyuck remembered using yesterday. "I'll probably take you up to meet the rest of the official team, I suppose."

"How many are there? I saw seven in a meeting room yesterday when I came, but are there more?" Donghyuck asked and Ten almost snorted.

"God, yes. There are seventeen of us. You probably ran into the U unit yesterday. 127 kind of runs everything—Taeyong is the head of that—and then there's Dream, and then U. I'm technically part of U, but I don't participate in all of the stuff that they do. I think you ran into part of U yesterday because I know that they were meeting and that I was supposed to be there, but I had a dance class to teach so I couldn't make it." Ten explained as the elevator gave a little  _ding_ and opened for them.

"That's... a lot of people." Donghyuck worried at his lip, unsure of how he was going to get to know all of these people just today.

"You've got it. You already know Taeyong, Mark, and I. That just leaves fourteen more." Ten said. Donghyuck gave him a look.

"You're not helping. Plus, it's thirteen. I know Jaehyun." Ten just grinned at him.

"See? You're already doing it!" They had made it to the floor that Ten had pressed the button for.

"You're such an ass, Ten. I hope you know that," Donghyuck rolled his eyes, following the other man out of the elevator.

"I live to please." Ten shot back over his shoulder, veering quickly to the left and opening the door to a huge room. "Head on in. They're waiting."

Donghyuck took a deep breath as he walked in, and was only met with the figures of nine people instead of the fourteen he had been expecting. Ten seemed to notice this as well and cleared his throat, causing everyone in the room to turn and face them.

"Where are the Dreamies?" Ten asked, giving Donghyuck a moment to scan the faces of the group. He recognized a few: Jaehyun, Johnny who was often came to the dance studio, and the faces of people he had seen the previous night. 

"Finishing up some field testing. They'll be back within the hour." Jaehyun spoke up, stepping to the front of the group.

"So you're Donghyuck?" A pale man with prominent cheekbones asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Thought you'd be taller." Jaehyun reached back and whacked him, leaving the man looking more annoyed.

"Everyone, this is Lee Donghyuck." Ten ignored the comment from the man. "He'll be spending the day with us and taking a tour of the facilities. Please take good care of him," Ten said and promptly exited the room, leaving Donghyuck with nine strangers. 

"Hi..."

"Welcome back Donghyuck."

"It's good to be here when no one's trying to kill each other." Donghyuck tried to joke, but he noticed everyone who had been in the room at the time of the incident visibly wince.

"Yeah..." Jaehyun scratched the back of his head. "Well, let's introduce ourselves, shall we?" Donghyuck nodded and leaned back against a table, mentally preparing himself to absorb all of the information that was soon to be flying at him.

"I'll start!" A tall boy in the back of the room piped up, excited. "I'm Lucas!"

"I'm Jungwoo," The boy next to Lucas was shorter and had softer features, a small smile gracing his lips. The way Jungwoo looked at Donghyuck along with the silky smoothness of his voice made Donghyuck want to go into a gay panic.

"Jungwoo, stop staring. You're scaring the poor boy." One of the shortest men in the room scolded Jungwoo gently before giving a kind smile to Donghyuck. "I'm Kun, by the way. It's nice to finally meet the other Lee brother." Donghyuck couldn't help but grin back at the man.

"I'm Taeil." A small, dark haired man spoke with each word crisp and enunciated. Even though Donghyuck was easily four inches taller than Taeil, he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.

And the introductions went on. Donghyuck met Yuta—the pale man who had made fun of his height earlier—, Sicheng—he didn't speak much, but he had a warm smile—, and Doyoung—one of the people who had been in the meeting room yesterday. 

It was a lot to keep track of, but Donghyuck was determined as he mentally scanned over everyone's faces and recited their names, trying not to freak out over the fact that he still had to meet the five others, the "Dreamies".

"You'll get along with them well, I think," Jaehyun said thoughtfully. "They're closer to your age." And then all that seemed to happen in the room for the next few minutes was mindless chatter. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone, or for something to happen, but Donghyuck had no idea who or what. At least until Jaehyun spoke up.

"So, Donghyuck,"

"Yeah?"

"You and Mark?"

"Who says I'm gay?!" Donghyuck struggled to keep from panicking. How did Jaehyun know? Didn't Donghyuck, Mark, and Taeyong just spend a half hour trying to clear his name of that? What if it was all for naught?

"Oh, honey," Johnny gave a little pout, pulling Donghyuck from his thoughts. "We can all tell from the way you look at the boy,  _none_  of the thoughts you have about him are platonic."

"But—" Donghyuck began.

"It's okay. We're Taeyong's most trusted friends, and we will keep whatever secret you need us to keep." Jaehyun winked.

"And it's not like the rest of us _aren't_ gay." Jungwoo piped up, looping his arm around Lucas's waist, making the taller blush crimson. 

"Speak for yourself," Doyoung coughed. 

"You're bisexual so it doesn't count." Jaehyun pointed out before turning back to Donghyuck. "Most of us are in relationships that aren't the most... socially acceptable."

"How so?"

"Lucas and Jungwoo are a couple, as well as me and Taeyong. Johnny and Ten are on their second anniversary," Donghyuck audibly gasped at that. "and Taeil is aromantic."

"And don't even get me started on the mess of gay that are the Dreamies." Doyoung groaned, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Who are the Dreamies?" Donghyuck asked.

"They run a section of the company that Mark is the head of. It handles the pharmaceuticals and it's called Dream."

"Did someone say...  _Dream_?!" A shout came from the hallway and everyone in the room almost simultaneously whipped their heads to the door to see what was going on.

"Speak of the devils and they shall appear," Donghyuck heard Doyoung grumble. A thundering of footsteps could be heard from outside the closed door, and they were met with a stream of five blurs bursting through the door and into the conference room.

The five figures wore five different colored suits, ranging from grey to red to pink to purple to blue. The figure in the pink suit stopped suddenly and Donghyuck got a good look at that familiar grin that the boy was wearing on his face.

"Jaemin?" Donghyuck leaned toward the boy, still not believing what he was seeing.

"Donghyuck?" The other boy mirrored his actions.

" _Nana_!"

" _Hyuckie_!" The two ran towards each other and embraced.

"What are you doing here?" Donghyuck laughed as Jaemin spun him around.

"I work here! What are  _you_ doing here?" Jaemin responded, still not letting go of Donghyuck.

"He's getting an official and professional tour of the  _NCT_ Industries HQ building." A voice from the doorway spoke, causing Donghyuck's head to shoot up and his eyes to meet Mark's.

"Ah, Mark!" Jaemin laughed, walking over to him and patting him on the shoulder. "Don't be such a spoilsport. Let him have some fun while he's here."

"There was an emphasis on professional, Jaemin." Mark crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, but Jaemin just grinned wider.

"Professional? Like those pictures of you and Hyuck in the tabloids?" And Donghyuck had never seen Mark turn so red. Mark looked down at his feet and walked out of the room to hide his growing blush. "Awww, is little Mark flustered around Hyuck?" Jaemin stuck his head out the door and called after Mark, but his only response was a pen being thrown at his face and the sound of receding footsteps.

"Jaemin, you're such an ass," A taller boy with black hair scolded, but it didn't to anything to diffuse the sparkle of mischief in Jaemin's eye.

"Don't you mean I have a great ass, Jeno?" Jaemin raised an eyebrow, smirking at the boy—Jeno—as Donghyuck snorted. Jeno just turned as bright red as Mark had moments before and tried to stutter out a response before another boy hushed him.

"Quit your gay panic for eight seconds while we introduce ourselves to Donghyuck, then you can resume." A boy with soft brown hair spoke up in a tone that was equally soft as it was commanding. "I'm Renjun. The boy who is in the middle of a crisis and is unable to speak is— _hey_!" A slap to Renjun's arm from the dark-haired boy shut him up.

"I'm Jeno, and I'd like you to know I'm  _not_ having a gay crisis. I have those at eight-thirty in the morning every day and it's precisely eleven fifty-six so that's definitely not what's happening."

"Eight thirty is when Renjun and I walk into the office every day..." Jaemin teasingly mused aloud, and Jeno winked at him.

A huff from the boy in the grey suit huffed loud enough for the flirting to cease. "I'm Jisung. The maknae of Dream and of  _NCT_. It's a pleasure."

"Ya, Sungie! Lighten up!" The blond boy in the red suit exclaimed, draping himself over Jisung's back and letting his arms dangle over Jisung's shoulders casually. "Donghyuck is a friend who I'm sure just wants to be comfortable, so stop it with the stiff formalities, will ya?"

Jisung turned a little pink, but nodded anyway, letting the blond boy continue. "I'm Chenle, by the way. You can call me Lele; everyone does. Can I call you Hyuck? It's easier and less awkward than Donghyuck." Donghyuck nodded, trying not to laugh at Chenle's word vomit.

Cheerful chatter continued in the room, the mood seemingly lighter and more at ease with the Dreamies there than it had been before. Everyone had a smile on their face, including the seemingly stoic Taeil who cracked a little grin when Chenle bounded over to him and began explaining something animatedly.

"We're here!" Ten shouted as he walked in the room, his arm around a still-blushing Mark as he half dragged the younger back into the crowded meeting room. Taeyong trailed behind, making sure to shut the door behind him. When everyone caught sight of the CEO, silence crashed over the room.

"Let's get down to business." Taeyong announced, and everyone found a seat at the large table.

"To defeat the Huns," Chenle quietly sang under his breath and Donghyuck had to give a concerted effort to not laugh as he took a seat between Chenle and Jaemin, not noticing Mark's little frown when there weren't any empty chair around him.

"Dreamies," Taeyong began, pulling out a notebook. "What's the status on Chewing Gum?"

Renjun cleared his throat and spoke, reading off of a little notebook that Jeno placed on the table between the two. "We're in the last phase of testing, and it might just be ready for the next gala unveiling after tomorrow's with a little extra push from our investors."

Jeno nodded. "Our marketing team needs to get on this right away so word can get out before next month. With a good initial response from the sales of Chewing Gum, it's predicted that we could overtake—" Jeno's eyes flicked up to Donghyuck and paused. Taeyong obviously caught the movement and set his pencil down.

"Mark, take Donghyuck outside. This meeting doesn't concern him until he decides that he wants to be part of the company." Donghyuck opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when he realized it actually made sense. "I'll catch you up on what was discussed later, Mark." Taeyong dismissed the two out of the room with a flick of his hand. Donghyuck felt himself go a little red when he realized everyone was watching him leave the room.

As soon as Donghyuck and Mark were out in the hallway, Mark spoke. "Don't take it personally. Even though you are brothers, there are precautions to be taken," Donghyuck nodded, but couldn't help but feel a little hurt. "You okay, Hyuck?"

"I'm great, Sporty." Mark flushed at the sound of the nickname and it made Donghyuck think. Where did the cool and unbothered Mark go? The Mark that he ate dinner with last night?

"I'm sorry about the photos, Hyuck," Mark rushed out all of a sudden. "I had no idea,"

"Mark," Donghyuck put a hand on the older's shoulder. "It's okay. Neither of us knew, but the situation is dealt with."

"I know, but I'm sorry, I didn't mean to,"

"Are you talking about the photos or what happened on the doorstep?" Donghyuck raised an eyebrow and turned to Mark, who still looked a little flustered.

Mark shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot before answering. "Both,"

"We need to talk about what happened, Mark."

"Yes, but—" Mark was cut off by the door opening and everyone filing out of the room. Most everyone made their way to the elevator, but the Dreamies, Ten, Taeyong, and Mark all hung back with Donghyuck.

"Hey, Tae?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that gala that Renjun was talking about?"

Taeyong chuckled. "The one I was just about to ask you to attend."

"Sure I'll go."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I don't see why not."

Taeyong looked a little shocked, and so did Ten. "It's just that you've ever agreed to go to one of these things before." Taeyong explained.

"Oh, right," Donghyuck supposed that was true.

"It's just a company gala, nothing too special. We're unveiling some new tech, and I think since now you're eighteen," Taeyong paused. "I think you should start to be in the public eye a little more, especially if you're planning on being part of the company at some point."

Donghyuck bit his lower lip in thought. "Okay, when is it?"

Taeyong almost looked relieved. "It's tomorrow night. All of the important company leaders will be wearing out uniform white tuxes, but you'll be fine in a suit and tie. Gala starts at nineteen-hundred hours, sharp. Please don't be late... lik I'm late to an important meeting with Yukhei and Sicheng," Taeyong grimaced, glancing at his watch. "I'll be back home late, but save some dinner for me, would ya?" 

Taeyong pressed a quick kiss to Donghyuck's head before dashing off, Ten's wrist in his hand. 

Donghyuck looked after him with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"I have no idea how someone would let a person as disorganized as my brother be in charge of anything."

Mark nodded thoughtfully, watching the two disappear down a corner in the hallway.

"I sometimes ask myself the same thing," Mark straightened himself up. "Now how about that tour?" He asked, holding out a hand.

Donghyuck took it gratefully, smiling at Mark. "Let's go, Sporty."

Mark had to turn his head to the side to attempt to hide his reddening cheeks before Donghyuck could catch sight of his blush.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hELLO ALL OF YOU LOVELY HUMANS  
> thank you so much for all of your loving and thoughtful comments that you've left!  
> they're all so kind and wonderful and they mean so much to me!  
> i can't wait to continue markhyuck's story knowing that i have so much support from aMAZING readers!!  
> ily all  
> <3  
> (and I promise that mafia tag will come into play soon!!)


	5. Third Greatest Fears and Threesomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin is that one friend we all want  
> Donghyuck is (di)stressed  
> Mark is too gorgeous for his own good  
> okay but just imagine all of NCT in really nice tuxedos because that's literally what this chapter is  
> (and also Norenmin makes its official debut!!!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm finally back from summer break and getting back into the swing of things at school, so i have both more time and motivation to write  
> thank you all so much for being so patient for this next chapter!!!  
> (who else is waiting anxiously for the Dream mini album to come out tomorrow??? I know I am!!!!)

"This isn't fucking  _funny_ Na Jaemin." Donghyuck huffed as he dropped the freshly purchased groceries on the countertop on the kitchen. "I'm actually having a crisis here, and you're not helping whatsoever." Donghyuck tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder so he could keep his best friend on the line.

" _Hyuck, you're going to be fine. These galas happen every six months or so, it's really not going to be that big of a deal_ ," Jaemin laughed from the other side of the line. Donghyuck merely grimaced.

"But I have to look good! That means I have to try! And the one good suit I have I wore to the press conference, so I can't wear it again as my second official public outing."

" _Plus, you have to look good for Mark_ ," Jaemin teased, but Donghyuck just tossed the apples into the fruit bowl and groaned.

"Not. Helping."

" _Sorry,_ sorry." Donghyuck was reasonably sure that was the least sorry someone could sound. "I _think you'll be fine on the outfit situation if you just relax for eight seconds, go up to your bedroom, and thank me._ " Donghyuck literally dropped the rest of the groceries on the counter and dashed out of the kitchen and up the staircase to his room. Breathing hard, he opened the door and spotted something lying on his bed. Donghyuck gasped in the least masculine way possible, but didn't care.

"Na Jaemin, you  _didn't_..." Donghyuck could hear the face-splitting grin that was on his best friend's face.

" _Oh, I did._ " Donghyuck put Jaemin on speaker, tossing his phone on his desk as he walked up to his bed. " _I just hope I remembered your measurements correctly,_ " Donghyuck was speechless as he gently ran a finger over the soft red velvet of the tuxedo jacket and examined the crisp white shirt and neatly ironed slacks all laying out neatly next to suspenders and a black bowtie, just begging to be tried on.

"Oh, Nana," Donghyuck breathed. "You've outdone yourself."

" _I saw it and immediately thought of how good you'd look in it. You should try it on and send me a picture._ " Jaemin's voice came from Donghyuck's phone, light and airy with happiness. " _I need to see if my hard work finding you this paid off or not."_

"I'm not going to put it on until I'm ready to leave for the gala," Donghyuck mused aloud. "You'll just have to see it there."

" _Fair enough. Hey, I know you had that tour of the company today._ " Jaemin's train of thought would never make an ounce of sense to Donghyuck, but he decided to humor him.

"What of it?" Donghyuck asked, picking his phone back up but not taking it off of speaker as he walked back out of his room and down to the kitchen to continue putting away the groceries he had left sitting out in his haste to see Jaemin's gift.

" _What did you tell Taeyong about joining the company_?" Jaemin asked. Donghyuck snorted.

"Well, I'm going to the gala, aren't I?"

" _You said_ yes?!" Jaemin yelled through the phone, making Donghyuck flinch from the other side of the room.

"No, I just said that I'd think about it." Donghyuck put all of the boxes of crackers and cereal away as he spoke.

" _No. Way._ "

"Way," Donghyuck turned his head over his shoulder to make a face at Jaemin before turning a little pink, remembering he wasn't actually there.

" _So after all these years of saying no and not even giving it a chance, this one tour changed your mind_?" Jaemin asked, incredulous and still a little unbelieving.

"It wasn't just the tour, Nana." Donghyuck sighed, recycling all of the paper bags that the groceries had been in after he had emptied them out onto the counter.

" _Oh, so it was Mark then_?"

Donghyuck spluttered. "It wasn't him. It was me finally looking at my future and what I have laid out in front of me, and what the best path is from here." He tried to explain.

" _So, in summary, it wasn't_ just _Mark. There were a couple other factors in there too,_ " Jaemin teased.

"Shut up, Jaeminnie." Donghyuck put away the last of the vegetables in the fridge.

" _But you love me_ ," Jaemin sing-songed.

"Unfortunately yes. Now I have to go get ready for the gala. I'll see you there?"

" _Of course. Mwah,_ " Jaemin made a kissing sound and hung up, his customary way of saying goodbye to Donghyuck since they were little.

Donghyuck picked up his phone with a smile on his face, an expression which he didn't shake as he climbed the stairs to his room so he could finally go try on that gorgeous tuxedo his best friend had gotten him. As Donghyuck exchanged his casual jeans and t-shirt for the slacks and dress pants, he felt the material and couldn't help wonder if a suit this nice put any sort of dent in Jaemin's bank account.

Probably not.

Money was never an issue for Jaemin—his father and mother were a famous actor and model respectively—and he had never had much of a problem with spending it, especially if he was splurging for the sake of his friends. Jaemin had a habit of treating his friends like sugar babies regardless of their social or monetary status because he had always valued the person inside above what they had been born with, and that's why Donghyuck and Jaemin had clicked so quickly as friends.

Donghyuck rubbed the deep scarlet velvet of the jacket as he remembered the day he and Jaemin had met with a small smile on his face.

It had been the summer before his parents had passed away and he had been walking along the sidewalks or Seoul with Taeyong as they enjoyed their ice cream. The heat had been sweltering, and the boys couldn't wait to get back home to play in the pool in their backyard and show their parents what they had learned at the dance studio that day. The Lee brothers stumbled along the pavement, all smiles and laughs and sticky hands from the rapidly melting treats in their hands.

Taeyong had been urging Donghyuck to try and race him home as they were a mere three blocks from their neighborhood, but Donghyuck had been too tired from the heat and the fact that he'd already walked almost a mile on his little five-year-old legs. Taeyong grinned and patted his head as the street that they lived on came into sight, telling him that he'd see him at home and took off to get to the air conditioned indoors sooner than his younger brother.

Donghyuck had tried to run after his ten-year-old brother, but tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and scraped his knee. Now, Donghyuck wasn't much of a crier, but getting skin ripped off of you justifies a few tears. Maybe more than a few.

Donghyuck remembered how his vision had gone blurry from the tears threatening to spill over his lashes, but a small voice that came from behind him caused him to blink the tears down his cheeks.

"Hey, are you okay? That was a bad fall." A small, high pitched voice came from behind him, causing tears to fly off of Donghyuck's cheeks when he whipped his head around to see who was speaking. A little boy walked up to him, holding a couple of lollipops in a small clenched fist.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." Donghyuck hiccupped and gave a rather unconvincing shaky smile to the boy, but apparently he was taking none of Donghyuck's crap.

"You're a really bad liar," The boy told him with a smile on his face. "I'm Na Jaemin." He said, sticking out a hand.

"Lee Donghyuck," Donghyuck replied, taking the boys hand with the intent of shaking it, but Jaemin pulled him up into a standing position. 

"That's too long. I'm going to call you Hyuck. You can call me Nana. Let's be friends!" Donghyuck swore in that moment that Jaemin never stopped smiling, but he couldn't help giving him a big watery smile right back.

"Okay, Nana. Do you want to come back to my house?" Never in his five and a half years of living had Donghyuck seen anyone nod with such enthusiasm.

"Yup! We've got to get your knee a band-aid. My mom usually gives my scrapes kisses. Does yours do that? No? Well once we get a band-aid, I'll give it a kiss for you," Jaemin didn't stop talking the entire way home, but Donghyuck had never felt happier because he finally had a friend.

Donghyuck chuckled, pulling himself out of the memory as he pulled on the beautiful red jacket over his shirt and suspenders, and got a start on his bowtie, thanking whatever god—Jaemin, most likely—made him learn how to tie a bowtie. The skill had come in handy for dance costumes before, and now this. He'd have to remember to thank Jaemin for teaching him how to tie the bowtie, as well as getting the suit.

Jaemin is just  _raking_ in all the thanks from him tonight, Donghyuck smiled as he pulled the knot tight and straightened it on his neck before flipping the collar down and taking one last look at himself in the mirror. Not to toot his own horn, but Donghyuck looked  _good_. 

The tux was well fitted to his body, bringing out the curves in his thighs and hips that he honestly didn't know he had. The deep red complemented his tanned skin, making him look like he was positively glowing. Donghyuck smiled to himself, happy that he was happy with himself which wasn't always the case, but tonight he felt good in his own skin, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.

Donghyuck grabbed a pair of polished black dress shoes from his closet—the only addition to his outfit besides a watch that was his own—and put them on, then only stopped to grab his phone before he headed out to the gala.

* * *

 

The one thing Jaemin had failed to mention, Donghyuck quickly realized as he ascended the steps to the ballroom where the gala was already in full swing, was just how many people were going to be here. Even though he showed up a half an hour late as to try to avoid the crowd of people coming in, it seems like there must have been a never ending flow of people going into the ballroom.

Donghyuck, thankfully, got to bypass the miles-long line of people that had to get their entry tickets checked, and just walked up to the door and greeted the security guard with his ID, and was let in faster than you could say "I'm gay for Mark Lee." Not that he would, of course. Donghyuck shakes those thoughts out of his head as he entered the ballroom, just to realize—to his absolute horror—that he would have to walk down the staircase full-on Cinderella style if he wanted to get down to the main floor where everyone was. And that was solidly his third worst fear, just slightly behind getting up to order and not having rehearsed it in his head, and actually flirting with Mark while neither of them are drunk on sleep deprivation and DDR.

Donghyuck scanned the ballroom floor, looking for people he knew. It was easy to spot all of the _NCT_ bodies as they were all wearing matching white tuxedos, but with different colored accents and bowties for some sort of a distinguishing feature among them. He easily spotted the Dreamies—all decked out in varying shades of pastel bowties—taking over the snack table while Taeyong and Jaehyun with their respective bright red and forest green ties were conversing seriously with some important-looking business people near the podium. He kept scanning the ballroom until he saw the person he was looking for: Mark. He was wearing a deep red bowtie, one that just about matched Donghyuck's suit jacket, and was deep in a conversation with Lucas, Jungwoo and Ten that looked serious, if by the way Ten's brow was furrowed and Lucas' wild gestures with his champagne flute were any way to tell.

Donghyuck sucked in a breath and turned to see if there was another less conspicuous way down to the ballroom floor, but a certain best friend of his had different plans.

"Hyuck! You made it!" Donghyuck whirled to see Jaemin standing next to him, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Let's go down!"

"Or we could find another way—" Donghyuck tried to protest, but failed.

"Nonsense, Hyuckie!" Jaemin linked their elbows together and half dragged Donghyuck down the staircase. It was half a miracle that Donghyuck made it to the ballroom floor while still standing, but it was almost cancelled out by the fact that Mark had definitely been watching the whole thing, a small smirk gracing his features. And damn Donghyuck if he didn't do his best to not blush the same color as his jacket.

"Hyuck, I forgot to ask something in our earlier conversation," Jaemin tapped Donghyuck's cheek, pulling his attention away from Mark at last. "What did you mean by 'the best path'? What is that best path for you?"

Donghyuck perked up a little bit, happy for the distraction. "I can do what Ten does!" Jaemin raised his eyebrows in hopes for elaboration. "Work with the company part-time, but continue with my dancing and/or singing outside of that." Donghyuck smiled. "You know that's what I've always really wanted to do, Nana."

Jaemin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! That actually might work out for you well if you play all of your cards right." The best friends exchanged hopeful smiles. "Just try to remember to talk to Taeyong about this before the end of tonight. The sooner he knows about your intentions within the company and what your plans are, the better." Donghyuck nodded, but his attention was on the two other young men in white tuxedos walking up behind Jaemin.

"Jaeminnie! We found you!" The one in the pastel yellow bowtie threw his arms around Jaemin's neck and gave him a hug from behind. That was Renjun, if Donghyuck's memory served him right. Jaemin's smile turned into a grin and he leaned back into Renjun's hold, glancing at Donghyuck to give him a wink.

Donghyuck tried to not snort as the one with the baby blue bowtie—Jeno, Donghyuck recalled—pulled both of the other two boys in the white tuxes into his arms. "Let's go do our rounds," Jeno spoke, and the other two giggled.

"Okay, Jeno-ah," Renjun piped up. "Can we take a quick stop in one of the meeting rooms first?" Donghyuck actually did snort at that, but the trio paid him no mind, already dissolved into giggles and excited smiles in each other's arms. 

Jaemin hummed in agreement, disentangling himself from Renjun and Jeno's arms. "I think that's a fabulous idea," Jaemin caught Donghyuck's eye and gave him a small nod. "I'll meet you two up there. I've got to say bye to Hyuckie first."

"Of course, Jaeminnie. It's good to see you Donghyuck!" Renjun said, but pulled Jeno away by the elbow before he could say anything. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow, looking back to his best friend.

"So when were you going to tell me about this?" Jaemin shrunk away from Donghyuck's accusatory glance and answered with wavering confidence.

"When I was sure exactly what was going on between us," Jaemin glanced longingly after Renjun and Jeno who could just be seen disappearing into a room off of the ballroom, closing the door behind them. "They've known each other a lot longer than they've known me, and I'm honestly afraid I'm barging in on whatever they had before me." Donghyuck had never heard Jaemin sound this unsure about any romantic endeavor.

"Nana," Jaemin looked back at Donghyuck with sadness written in his eyes. "Then tell them. Talk to them. But if I can tell anything from what I've seen, they're as much in love with you as they are with each other."

"Really? You think so, Duckie?" Jaemin asked, his eyes shining as he used the childhood nickname he had for Donghyuck.

"Really, Nana." Donghyuck laid a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Now, I don't think you want to miss out on all the fun." Jaemin grinned at Donghyuck, every trace of sadness gone from his features as gave Donghyuck a quick hug, only to get shoved in the direction of the meeting room by Donghyuck.

Donghyuck watched Jaemin practically skip to the room and open the door where he was immediately pulled inside by four arms with the door closing right behind him. Donghyuck grabbed a glass on champagne from a passing server and smiled to himself as he took a sip of the liquid that was definitely not meant for his eighteen-year-old self to be partaking of.

Over the rim of the glass, Donghyuck scanned the ballroom for any sign of Mark, but to no such luck. It looked as if Mark had gone somewhere else out of Donghyuck's sight, causing him to sigh. 

"Hey there gorgeous," A voice spoke behind him, and Donghyuck spun around so quickly that he almost spilled his champagne. It wasn't Mark, who he had been hoping for, but a stranger who he had never seen. "You look lonely and like you could use some company." The man towered an easy eight inches above Donghyuck and spoke Korean with a British accent; the odd combination making his head spin.

"I'm alright on my own, but thank you for your consideration," Donghyuck rejected him with as much politeness as he could muster, and tried to turn away to leave, but was caught on the arm and spun back around.

"I don't think leaving is such a good idea, sweetheart." The stranger was so close at this point, they were almost touching chests. Donghyuck was about two seconds from putting his knee in the guy's crotch, but a much more familiar voice stopped him.

"Hyuck? Is everything alright over here?" It was Mark. He had walked up behind Donghyuck and slung an arm around his waist, and Donghyuck couldn't help but melt a little bit into the touch. 

"This man was just about to take his exit from the gala, I believe," Donghyuck smiled at the stranger warmly, but he knew his eyes flashed with something dangerous. The man removed his hand Donghyuck's arm and stepped back as if he was burned. Making an expression that could barely be passable as a smile, the stranger left without a further word.

"I saw that you needed saving," Donghyuck looked up at Mark in time to see him throw the younger a wink, that same smirk he'd seen earlier still on his lips. Donghyuck slipped out of Mark's grasp with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. He probably looked like a sharply dressed petulant three-year-old, but that wasn't the point.

"I needed no such thing, for your information, Mister Lee." Mark nods along to Donghyuck's words, but there's a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. Donghyuck had never seen him like this.

"Of course, of course. My apologies, your highness," Mark grinned. Before Donghyuck could give a retort, however, Mark straightened up and looked past him. "I have to take my own leave now, but I hope you have better luck with company for the rest of the party." Mark rushed out, and proceeded to slip away and disappear into the throng of gala-goers, leaving Donghyuck no less than speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here's kind of what i imagined hyuck wearing to the gala](https://image.dhgate.com/0x0/f2/albu/g5/M00/A9/A5/rBVaI1j0SimAB1wIAAEWVwi0v5U315.jpg)  
> [and here's kind of what i pictured mark/the rest of nct wearing](https://www.celebsclothing.com/product_images/m/763/Peak_Lapel_Single_Button_Mens_White_Tuxedo__80269_zoom.jpg) (but all with different colored accents/bowties)  
>  part two of the gala will be coming out very very soon!!  
> all of the positive feedback on this story means the world to me!!  
> thank you all so much!!!  
> <3


	6. Being Held at Gunpoint Isn't as Much Fun as Being Held By Mark, Amirite?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck becomes The Confident Gay™  
> We (read: Hyuck) Love(s) A Confident Flirty Mark  
> Taeyong tries to give a speech  
> The mafia tag finally becomes relevant ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was a super awkward cliffhanger last chapter... sorry  
> i needed to keep the chapter lengths relatively even, so i had to split the gala up into two chapters  
> enjoy!  
> (OKAY BUT WHO ELSE IS IN LOVE WITH THE NEW DREAM MINI ALBUM BECAUSE I AM AND DRIPPIN IS SUCH A BOP)

It took Donghyuck a few seconds to come around from Mark's rapid departure, but the first thing he did was curse himself. It was the first time he'd seen Mark in such a flirty mood—and it may very well be the last time—and Donghyuck let him slip away. It took every ounce of willpower within his body to not stomp his foot on the ground in frustration. 

"Woah, there. What's got you all hot and bothered?" Jaemin emerged from the throng of business people, his pastel pink bowtie minutely askew and his previously impeccably styled hair slightly mussed. Along with those clues, his lips looked a little swollen and the sparkle in his best friend's eye were enough to tell Donghyuck exactly what had happened in that meeting room without having to ask.

"Damn, Nana," Donghyuck whistled. "You look good." Donghyuck reached forward to straighten Jaemin's bowtie, earning a playful slap on the wrist from the younger. 

"Jeno and Renjun told me the same thing," Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at the comment but continued doing his best to put Jaemin's hair back into place.

"So there's been progress in that department finally?" 

"Finally." Jaemin nodded in agreement before snatching Donghyuck's champagne and taking a sip of the alcohol he was definitely not old enough to be having. But then again, neither was Donghyuck, so he refrained from making a comment. Donghyuck took advantage of Jaemin's momentary distraction to scan the crowd for Mark again and found him talking to some older-looking businessmen with a furrowed brow and a serious expression. 

Wow, did Mark look good in that fitted white tuxedo. Donghyuck's eyes traced the curves of his calves through the tailored slacks all the way up to his angled cheekbones and his dark gelled hair. Serious bad boy had never looked better, Donghyuck thought as he repressed a sigh.

"Just go talk to him, already," Jaemin nudged him, taking another sip of the bubbly alcohol. "You've been standing here staring at him and it's starting to get weird." Now Donghyuck would never admit it aloud, but his best friend was probably right. He examined it for just a moment before tipping the whole glass back like a shot.

Jaemin’s eyes widened. “That’s not how you’re supposed to—” Donghyuck felt a gentle warmth in his stomach as he pressed a finger to Jaemin’s lips.

“Liquid courage, my friend. I need everything I can get.” Donghyuck flashed him an award-winning smile before straightening his jacket and making a beeline for Mark who was completely unbeknownst to the tan-skinned young man approaching him from behind, only to wrap his arms around Mark's neck and rest his chin on Mark's shoulder.

"With how the stocks have been—mmgh!" Mark tensed up and halted his conversation with the businessmen to make a distressed noise at Donghyuck's sudden presence at his back. "Sorry, as I was saying, the stock price is projected to keep rising, and this should only give it another boost which will leave esteemed customers and investors such as yourselves in a good place."

"The conversation was very much appreciated Minhyung Lee. We look forward to seeing more of you soon." One of them spoke, giving Mark a nod before turning on his heel and leaving, the others not trailing far behind. Donghyuck frowned as Mark let out a sigh, glancing at the younger.

"Minhyung?" Donghyuck asked, confusion was surely written all across his face.

"My Korean name. Mark is my birth name and I go by that most of the time, but those people are... traditional, shall we say? They like everything Korean or nothing at all, and I'm in a part of the business where I have to conform to that." Donghyuck unlinked his arms from around Mark and stepped in front of him as the older gave his explanation.

"I like Mark better. It suits you." Donghyuck offered a smile.

"Agreed," Mark winked at Donghyuck, returning the expression, and if Donghyuck hadn't been panicking before, he sure was now. He had no idea where this flirty and romantically confident Mark had come from, but he wasn't exactly complaining given that he was on the receiving side of the affection. Donghyuck was about to make an equally flirtatious remark back when his brother's voice boomed through the ballroom, snapping both Donghyuck's and Mark's attention up to a podium with a microphone that had been set up near the back wall.

"I'm greatly pleased that each and every one of you could make it tonight, for I believe that we, as the current heads of  _NCT_ _Corporations_ , are extraordinarily pleased with the hard work our company has put into this new project. Although you should probably know me if you're here," Taeyong pauses for the small rumble of laughter that echoes briefly through the ballroom before continuing. "My name is Lee Taeyong and I am the current CEO of  _NCT Corp._ , and between my COO Jung Jaehyun, my CFO Mark Lee and all of the heads of the branches, and I, we are sincerely honored to welcome Choi Seungcheol of  _SVT Industries_ and Kim Namjoon of  _BTS Inc._ to help introduce this group effort of a project that has been in planning for a year and a half. Please join me in giving them and the rest of their companies a warm welcome to the gala."

Taeyong began to clap, and applause quickly washed over the whole ballroom and Donghyuck's chin found its way back onto Mark's shoulder, his arms around the older's waist where he slowly rubbed circles into Mark's hips and suppressed a grin of amusement when he felt a shiver travel up Mark's spine. It was good to know Donghyuck had the same effect on Mark as Mark had on him. Donghyuck relished in the fact that there were no cameras trained on him in here, and he made sure his lips ghosted a little too close to the shell of Mark's ear, his cheek, his neck.

Mark was clearly struggling, as he kept shifting from foot to foot and goosebumps had appeared on his normally smooth skin. Donghyuck nuzzled into the side of Mark's neck in an effort to get comfortable, and Donghyuck could feel Mark's pulse racing and his breathing a little more labored than usual. Donghyuck tuned out his brother's droning; he had better things to do. Donghyuck raised himself up on his tiptoes put his lips right next to Mark's ear, smiling as he saw Mark shiver again. 

"You a little cold there?" Donghyuck whispered, laughter almost bubbling up out of him. The corner of Mark's mouth twitched up, but no reply came and Donghyuck took that as a personal challenge. He hummed lightly against the soft skin of Mark's neck, just barely pressing his mouth against it before taking it away. Mark let out a quiet huff as Donghyuck withdrew from his back to stand next to him with their nothing but the sleeves of their suit jackets touching.

"You're going to play that way, aren't you?" Mark leaned over to Donghyuck, breathing the words gently as to not alert anyone else around them of their conversation. Donghyuck merely smiled, but turned his attention back to his brother who was still speaking, but two other men—Donghyuck recognized them as Kim Namjoon of  _BTS_ and Choi Seungcheol of  _SVT_ —had joined Taeyong on the podium, and they were taking turns talking about the new project that they are collaborating on.

All Donghyuck caught was that it had something to do with clean and sustainable energy for the entirety of South Korea before he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist and a soft huff of breath tickle his collarbone. Donghyuck held back a smile as Mark mirrored the actions Donghyuck had done unto him just moments before, his long fingers tracing small circles along Donghyuck's hipbone, Mark's lips dangerously close to Donghyuck's neck.

Except this time, Mark's lips gently met the skin at the junction of the younger's neck and collarbone, and Donghyuck went hot and cold and hot again as he simultaneously felt shivers travel throughout his whole body and melted backwards into Mark's grip, tipping his head just a little more as Mark's lips traveled gently up and down the side of his neck, nipping gently at Donghyuck's earlobe and leaving gentle butterfly kisses across his jawline. Donghyuck bit his lip to keep himself from making any noises as Mark smiled against his tan skin, sucking the beginnings of a hickey just under Donghyuck's collar so it couldn't be seen.

And it was suddenly very hot in the huge ballroom. Donghyuck felt a blush creep up from his neck to his cheeks, turning his beautiful tan skin a rosy gold hue as it travelled upwards. Mark chuckled and withdraw his mouth from Donghyuck's neck, placing it by his ear. 

"You a little warm there?" Mark laughed breathily, mocking Donghyuck's earlier words, causing the younger to stifle a laugh. God, what was Mark  _doing_ to him? But it didn't matter because there was a tap on Donghyuck's shoulder, and he turned to see a smiling Hansol and another man sidling up next to them, a knowing smile on Hansol's face.

"Having fun there, you two?" Hansol laughed quietly. "Just don't make it too obvious. Mark and Donghyuck, this is Boo Seungkwan. Kwannie, this is Mark and Donghyuck." Hansol introduced the two youngers to the man that Hansol had walked up with, and they all shook hands. 

"I'm glad you could make it for the celebration, Hansol," Mark grinned, clapping Hansol on the shoulder, but Hansol lost his smile only to replace it with a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

"I wish I could say I was here for the celebration, but I'm not. Mark, I need to speak with you. There's a situation that needs your immediate attention." Hansol leaned in, explaining in hushed words. Donghyuck frowned as Mark unwrapped his arms from the younger and took a step towards Hansol.

"I'll come right away." Mark started to follow Hansol, who had already disappeared through the crowd in front of them, but Donghyuck grabbed Mark's wrist and spun him back around. Before Donghyuck could even think about stopping himself, he leaned in on his tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on Mark's cheek, and pulled back to see Mark's mildly-surprised-but-equally-amused face looking back at him, brown eyes sparkling with happiness.

"I'll be back in less than ten minutes, I promise." Mark gave Donghyuck a wink before turning around and weaving himself through the crowd to follow Hansol, leaving Donghyuck and Seungkwan standing there together a bit awkwardly.

"So," Seungkwan began. "You and Mark?" Donghyuck sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sure you saw the scandal. There can't be a ' _me and Mark_ ' without throwing half the country into an uproar. I have no idea what we are, let alone what that was." Donghyuck fidgeted with his hands, twisting his mother's old wedding band around his pinky finger, the simple gold ring having become a sign of comfort for him. Seungkwan huffed and crossed his arms.

"That's so stupid. Sollie and I have been dating for years and we never faced any treatment like that." The older man frowned, but kept his gaze ahead on the speakers at the front of the room. Donghyuck almost gasped.

"You're dating Hansol? And have been for  _years_? How?" Donghyuck playfully shook Seungkwan by the arm, making them both laugh quietly.

"We started dating almost four years ago, but we've known each other since we were teenagers. I guess we just started before the company got big, and I suppose no one really cared, as neither of us are in particularly large positions of power in the company, unlike you and Mark." Seungkwan reasoned, shrugging. The theory made sense to Donghyuck, and as much as it irked him that Mark and he couldn't be just like that, Donghyuck couldn't help but be happy for Hansol and Seungkwan. Although he'd only known the two of them for a very short while, he knew that they were good people and that they deserved all the good things life had to give.

"Well, I'm happy for you two." Donghyuck nudged Seungkwan with his shoulder, throwing him a bright smile that the older returned happily.

"That means a lot, Donghyuck. I hope things get worked out _between_ you and Mark and  _for_ you and Mark." Seungkwan threw an arm around Donghyuck's shoulders and pulled him into a side hug. Donghyuck noted that Seungkwan gives really good hugs and he should keep that in mind. The two spent the proceeding minutes standing next to each other, listening to Taeyong, Namjoon and Seungcheol talk, and giving each other sarcastic side comments to each other in an attempt to keep them sane throughout the speeches that they could only half understand the contents of.

It was only after twenty minutes after Mark and Hansol left that Donghyuck finally gave in and asked Seungkwan what might be going on because Mark had promised to be back in ten, and Mark wasn't the type of person to skip out on promises. Seungkwan's face flashed through several emotions before deciding on worried as he listened to the younger's question.

"Hansol is the head of security in  _SVT_ and if he took Mark away, it was most likely a security threat of some sort now that I think about it, especially since it's been this long. Mark is often times the one who deals with those sorts of things at  _NCT_ because you don't have a designated head of security and Mark just kind of does everything." Seungkwan began to ramble on as he turned his head to and fro in a futile attempt to see over the crowd for any sign of Hansol or Mark.

"Security threat? Does that mean Mark might be in trouble?" Donghyuck knew he immediately jumped to the worst conclusion, but it was Mark and he was allowed to be worried. Seungkwan shrugged helplessly, turning back to Donghyuck. 

"I honestly have no idea. It very well could be, but I can't tell you for sure." A mere second after hearing those words, Donghyuck turned around and walked towards the grand staircase behind them so he could get a better vantage point of the area. He felt Seungkwan try and stop him, but Donghyuck slipped through the throng of people and managed to get away.

Donghyuck ascended the staircase completely and gazed over the people crowded into the ballroom. Taeyong looked so confident up on stage with the two other CEO's, he spotted Jaemin standing between Renjun and Jeno trying to subtly hold in their laughter at a comment Jaemin made, but neither Mark nor Hansol were anywhere in sight. Donghyuck wrung his hands, growing increasingly worried by the second, but his concerned thoughts were interrupted by a gunshot.

The deafening  ** _CRACK_** of the shot echoed through the ballroom, and Donghyuck whirled around to see a tall man dressed in all black, holding a gun straight up to the ceiling. Even though Donghyuck couldn't see the man's mouth, it was clear that he was smiling because of the crinkles at the corners of his dark eyes. Donghyuck couldn't do anything but freeze as the man lifted his free hand into the air in the form of a fist, and watch in horror as more people dressed similarly to the tall man came pouring in from all of the doors.

They surrounded the gala-goers from all sides, caging them in with a dark and dangerous fence. Even from where he stood, Donghyuck could see that each of the men was visibly armed to the teeth with knife sheaths and gun holsters clearly appearing on each of them at least thrice. By the time the tall man by Donghyuck began to speak, it was so silent in the ballroom that he probably would have been fine whispering, but that would have ruined the dramatic effect, Donghyuck reasoned.

"These three companies have been hiding their true selves from you," He boomed in a voice that carried throughout the ballroom easily. "They aren't all as perfect as they seem with their so called noble intentions and meticulously clean slates."

There were a few whispers from own in the crowd below and Donghyuck had to fight himself to not turn around and see if Mark was here or not, but the tall man kept talking. "We are the rebellion. We are the revolution. We are the ones who have come to expose you for the monsters you truly are on the inside of those perfectly manicured buildings. We are the new company. The Jinsil that have come to liberate you of your lies!"

To say the least, Donghyuck is confused at this point. He's seriously tempted to stop and ask the tall man what he means, but he just keeps talking. 

"Lee Taeyong, let's start with you. Did you ever tell your little brother dearest here," Before Donghyuck can react, the tall man reaches forward and yanks Donghyuck back into his grasp, pressing the gun to his temple, ready to blow Donghyuck's brains out at any second, but that doesn't stop Donghyuck from struggling to escape from the man's iron grip. Donghyuck can see the collective gasp of the crowd as well as hear it, now that he's facing them. He can see the shock on Taeyong's face and the anger on Jaemin's, but Mark is still nowhere to be seen. "Exactly  _how_ your parents died? Were  _you_ the one feeding him the lie that it was a car crash?"

Donghyuck's eyes went wide as he stopped struggling for a second to make eye contact with his brother who had gone deathly pale. "You should have told him the truth. The truth that they were brutally murdered by a rival gang for not giving their youngest son up as promised. You shouldn't have spoonfed not just your only living relative, but the rest of the public, this blatant lie!" With the last word, the barrel of the gun was pressed harder into Donghyuck's head, causing him to cry out involuntarily.

Donghyuck saw Jaemin surge forward, only to be held back by a stone-faced Jeno. Donghyuck struggled against the tall man again, but to no avail. All that he got out of that was a yank on his hair from one of the tall man's lackeys so a knife could be pressed to his throat as well. Donghyuck looked down to see Jaemin with angry tears streaming down his face, still trying to get out of Jeno's grip and felt as if the knife that was at his neck had already stabbed through his heart.

"You know, Taeyong," The tall man spoke again, but just discernibly softer, yet Donghyuck could still feel the man's grin even when he couldn't see it. "I could take your little brother here for a little field trip." Donghyuck tensed, realizing what he was implying. "I'd return him in a couple of days... maybe weeks... maybe months... I haven't decided yet. I could teach him a few things while he's away. Things that you won't ever tell him about. The darkest of secrets you keep from him because you feel as if you're  _protecting him_." 

The man spat the last two words out with such disdain it made Donghyuck jump, earning himself two beads of red blood erupting from a small cut underneath the knife that rolled down and spilled onto his suit jacket, blending in with the red fabric a little too well. Donghyuck felt the gun be withdrawn from his temple and the hand be released from his hair as the tall man threw his head back with laughter. If the knife were to be removed as well, Donghyuck felt as though he might actually stand a chance at escaping.

"I might even give him back in one piece if he behaves." The tall man leaned forward past Donghyuck so they could make eye contact, and Donghyuck froze, cold fear running through every vein. "But you'll be a good boy, won't you?" The man leaned down and whispered those words to Donghyuck, making him flinch away and the knife to dig into his skin again, soaking more of his collar in his own blood.

Before anything further could happen, a door crashed open to their left startling the tall man enough that he moved the hand with the knife far enough away from Donghyuck that he could slip out of his grasp and make a dash for the stairs. The tall man realized his mistake a split second too late, making a wild grab for Donghyuck but only succeeding in slicing Donghyuck's knuckles with the knife the tall man still had in the hand he used to try and grab Donghyuck with. The sudden rush of pain was enough to make him lose his balance and begin to fall backwards down the stairs.

Donghyuck barely has his second foot come out from under him when he is caught in a pair of steady arms, and thankfully doesn't take the tumble down the grand staircase. Donghyuck looks up to see himself in the arms of Hansol, but the older has a stoic expression and is looking at something else. He follows Hansol's gaze back to where the tall man had been holding him captive mere seconds ago to see the tall man ready to lunge toward him, but the  ** _CLICK_** of a safety being turned off makes him stop.

And there stood Mark in all of his serious bad boy glory, holding a gun to the forehead of the tall man in the same place he had his own gun against Donghyuck's temple. "I don't think moving would be the wisest of decisions." Mark spoke through gritted teeth. The tall man just rocked back on his heels, relaxed.

"Ah, I see another Mr. Lee has cared to join us. How are you doing, Minhyung?" The man's eyes flashed with something dangerous as he said Mark's name. "I haven't seen you in quite a while and I see you've grown quite a bit." Mark looked utterly lost at the man's words, but his posture didn't falter in the slightest. The tall man clicked his tongue, shaking his head as much as he could with a gun pressed against it.

"You don't remember me? Tsk, what a shame. I suppose you'll figure it out soon enough," The tall man shifted his body to address the crowd. "The name's J. You'll be seeing more of me sooner than you think." And with those final words, all of the lights in the ballroom went out, only to flicker back to life moments later to find the ballroom completely devoid of anyone from Jinsil.

Donghyuck leaped out of Hansol's arms to find Mark pocketing something, but decided it was best to hug now and question later.

"Mark!" Donghyuck called as he barrelled into the arms of the older, who pulled him off of his feet in a crushing hug. Donghyuck buried his face into the side of Mark's neck, mumbling incoherent words and phrases about how scared he was while the older did the same with words of comfort until Jaemin came running up the stairs.

"Hyuck I swear—" Jaemin choked off his own words with a sob as Donghyuck pulled himself away from Mark in time to receive the mess that was his best friend in his arms, and this time Donghyuck was the one whispering the words of comfort.

"Shhh, Nana, it's okay. I'm here now, I'm safe, I'm okay. I saw you trying to get to me, mhmm, but Jeno held you back and did the right thing. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt!" Donghyuck murmured.

"Says you! Think about what I feel when you get hurt! Oh, Duckie I was terrified," Jaemin burst back into tears and just let Donghyuck rock him back and forth, rubbing his back comfortingly. Donghyuck peeked over Jaemin's shoulder to see the rest of  _NCT_ gathered, Taeyong still extremely pale and the rest of them looking varying levels of shaken up. Ten and Johnny stepped forward to help Donghyuck clean himself up, which was a bit of a struggle given that Jaemin refused to let go of Donghyuck, but they made it work.

"Donghyuck," Taeyong started after a moment, but broke off when Mark rested a hand on his shoulder, glancing at Donghyuck who was having bandages placed on him by Ten while Johnny did his best to wipe up the excess blood with his purple handkerchief.

"Taeyong, let me take Donghyuck back to his home. I'll stay the night with him and make sure he's safe, and we can deal more with the situation in the morning. It's getting late, we're all exhausted, and we'll all function better once we can think properly." Mark spoke, then turned to the rest of the group. "I want everyone to leave in groups. No one leaves alone or stays anywhere alone tonight, but we all need to meet back at headquarters at six o'clock tomorrow evening. We have a lot to discuss. Sleep well and stay safe. Call someone if you have any doubts about your safety."

Mark's executive command seemed to put everyone a little more at ease, and people began to pair off and leave. Jaehyun, Mark, and Taeyong were having a hushed conversation with Namjoon and Seungcheol about something when Donghyuck felt Jaemin being taken from his arms.

"Let Renjun and me take him for the night. He'll be safe with us." Jeno spoke softly, scooping up a tired Jaemin into his arms with Renjun right by his side, brushing Jaemin's hair out of his face, murmuring to him about going to sleep. Donghyuck smiled and nodded, happy that his best friend was lucky enough to have gotten Jeno and Renjun to take care of him.

"Ready to get out of here? It looks like Taeyong and Jaehyun will take care of things here." Mark asked, walking up beside Donghyuck and nudging him a little with his shoulder. Donghyuck nodded. For having all of the adrenaline in his system that he did two minutes ago, he was ridiculously exhausted and all he wanted to do was curl up into a little ball with a fluffy sweatshirt on and sleep for twelve hours. "I'll call one of the company drivers."

Donghyuck went to sit down on a chair by the wall as Mark dialled the driver and leaned his head back against the wall, painfully aware of the fact that he probably had blood all over him even though Johnny and Ten had done their best to clean him up. Thankfully, none of the cuts had been deep at all or required serious medical attention. All they'd need when he got home was a more thorough cleaning, some disinfectant, and new bandages.

Donghyuck let his eyes slide closed at the thought of actually having to follow through with all of that work, until he remembered that he could ask Mark for help. Donghyuck thought about opening his eyes and calling for the older, but the pull of sleep was too strong. All Donghyuck remembered was him being picked up by someone strong and warm and familiar, being carried somewhere, and a kiss planted on his forehead before he finally succumbed to the pull of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to a lovely episode of it took me a little less than a month to write this chapter because writer's block is a bitch :) and i'm also sorry because proofreading happened for like half of this before i gave up because i was super excited about posting it  
> bUT i've highkey always wanted to know what it would be like for Seungkwan and Donghyuck to meet bc they're the high-note hitting sassy ones of their respective groups that are mainly shipped with the english-speaking rappers and idk i just found the similarities funny and i wanted to include it!!  
> OH HEY btw The Jinsil are named because of the Korean word for "truth" (진실) and i thought that was kind their whole idea with the "expose the truth or death" thing, ya know?  
> AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND LOVE ON THIS STORY! I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO OVER 4K HITS AND 400 KUDOS I honestly feel so blessed to have the best readers in the world!!!  
> Thank you so so so so soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all of the kudos and comments that keep me going (no matter how slowly) when I hit points like this, it means the world!!  
> I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!  
> <3


	7. Daylight Come and Hyuck No Wanna Go Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get explained  
> Taeyong is simultaneously the best and worst brother  
> Donghyuck REALLY doesn't want to go home  
> Mark is just trying to do his job, okay?  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter length consistency? accurate spelling? betas? who is she idk her  
> (okay actually hmu if you're willing to be a beta for this hot mess of a fic bc lord knows i need one)  
> and hi i have the regular-irregular album on repeat while i'm writing this and i'm thRIVING  
> fly away with me is a bOP and so is running back 2 u  
> i have officially memorized all of mark's raps for regular in both languages and i kind of hate myself

Donghyuck woke up feeling both the best and the worst he had in forever. For starters, he was snuggled up in his own warm bed while sunlight streamed through his curtains, the clock reading a time a little past two in the afternoon. It was a great six seconds of tranquility before the events of the previous night came flooding back to him.

He shot straight up, just making sure he was in his own bed in the Lee mansion with his Michael Jackson posters and polaroid photos staring back at him from where they hung on the walls. Donghyuck exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding and ran a hand through his hair in attempt to slow his heart rate a few hundred beats per minute.

After a few moments of just sitting in bed, Donghyuck decided that he was too alert at this point to try and go back to sleep and that food was his next best bet for making himself feel better, so he slid his feet out from under the duvet and paused. Donghyuck looked down at himself to realize he was only wearing his boxer briefs and his dress shirt from last night, which means that either someone undressed him or he just had absolutely no recollection of doing it himself.

Both were equally concerning, if Donghyuck was being perfectly frank.

Shedding his wrinkled dress shirt, and slipping on a sweatshirt from his dresser—one of his father's old ones from university—Donghyuck plodded out of his room and down the stairs to scavenge some cereal from the kitchen because he was in neither the mood nor the state to cook anything substantial.

His plans were halted when he made it to the doorway of the kitchen and froze when he saw a figure sitting at the countertop already that was definitely not his brother. The figure has his back to Donghyuck and was typing hurriedly on a laptop between taking bites of an apple. Donghyuck rubbed at his eyes with the sleeves of his sweatshirt dipping over his fists, probably looking like the biggest overgrown kitten in the process, but a voice started him out of the task at hand.

"Good morning, Donghyuck, or should I say afternoon?" Oh, god. Of course it was Mark. Donghyuck blinked and took a hesitant step forward.

"Why are you in my kitchen?"

"I never really left. I mean, I had Chenle drop off my laptop and a fresh set of clothes—" Mark tried to explain, turning to face Donghyuck but was cut off.

"Mark. I mean why are you still here?" Donghyuck crossed his arms, suddenly very aware of the fact that Mark was in a full suit and Donghyuck was in an old sweatshirt and his underwear.

"I didn't figure you would want to be alone." Mark told him matter-of-factly. Donghyuck let his lips form a little 'o'. He didn't know what explanation he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. Donghyuck ducked his head a little and scurried into the kitchen to hide his pink cheeks from Mark who hadn't taken his gaze off of the younger since he turned around.

"Oh." Donghyuck grabbed out the milk and the cereal before the silence between them became a little too deafening. "What happened last night after I fell asleep?" A little smile danced across Mark's features before he answered. If Donghyuck had blinked, he would have missed it.

"I drove you home, and you were only half asleep when we got back here so you got most of the way changed." Mark paused to let out a little chuckle. "I found you curled up on the floor of your closet and brought you to bed. Nothing else important, though, if that's what you were getting at." Donghyuck choked back a squeak and took a bite of his cereal to try and hide how much he was blushing.

Donghyuck was the king of falling asleep wherever he needed to whenever he was tired, and Mark had already seen it in action. That was a rough start to his morning, but there were also more pressing questions at hand, so Donghyuck swallowed back his embarrassment with his last spoonful of cereal and changed the subject.

"So what happens next? For Taeyong? For the company? Were there any recordings of what happened in there? What if—" And it was Donghyuck's turn to be interrupted. 

"We can worry about those questions at the meeting which is..." Mark glanced down at his watch. "In a little less than an hour." Donghyuck could tell that Mark was deflecting, but it three past five o'clock and he still needed to shower, so Donghyuck quietly nodded and took his leave of the kitchen without any word of protest.

By the time he was done showering and getting dressed into a simple clean dress shirt and jeans, it was almost five-thirty. Donghyuck grabbed his wallet and phone from his bedside table and dashed down the stairs to where Mark was leaning up against the doorway to the garage, swinging his keys around his finger.

"We're so going to be late," Donghyuck mumbled as he sped past Mark to where grab his maroon Vans, insisting that they needed to head out now and he could get his shoes on in the car. Mark raised an eyebrow, but held the door open for Donghyuck without question.

The silence between the two in the car was nearly suffocating. Donghyuck wished with everything in his body that he could read Mark's mind; the boy's hands relaxed on the steering wheel but his face in a frown, lines marring the usually smooth planes of his face.

"Hey, Mark?"

He merely received a hum in response, but it was better than nothing.

"What were you and Taeyong fighting about when I walked in on that meeting?"

Mark braked a little too hard at a stoplight, grimacing at the question. "Taeyong wants you to join the company. Be Co-CEOs or something along those lines."

"And you don't?" Donghyuck asked, confused. Mark shook his head. "What's your rationale?"

It was a moment before Mark responded. "I don't want you to end up on the same path as me." He spoke deliberately, choosing every word with care.

"What does that mean?" Donghyuck was reasonably sure that it was impossible for Mark to be any more vague.

"You saw what happened last night, and you're not even  _part_ of the company yet." Mark sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Jesus, just think about what might happen if you actually held a position of power in _NCT_  amidst all of this controversy and violence. I didn't even know you at the time Taeyong and I had the argument, but I can't stand the thought of it."

"Are you saying you went through something similar?" Donghyuck's head spun, trying to connect all of the dots and read between the lines of Mark's words.

Mark shrugged as they pulled into the parking garage. "Of sorts, yes."

"How so?"

Mark glanced over and Donghyuck and gave him a tight smile. "That would be a story for another time." Donghyuck suppressed a groan at the lack of an actual response from the elder, but shoved the conversation to the back of his mind as he began to get anxious about the meeting today. Mark got out of the car first and was halfway to the door of the building before Donghyuck had even moved from his spot in the passenger seat.

Donghyuck wrung his hands as he jogged to catch up to Mark at the door, taking a mere moment to glance at his watch that told him that the duo was already five minutes late to the meeting. He scrunched his nose at the thought of what Taeyong was going to say about them being late, let alone the mild harassment he'd receive from Jaemin for sure.

"What's with the face?" Mark looked at Donghyuck, gently pressing the button to call the elevator.

"Just wondering what kind of crap I'm going to get for being late."

Mark snorted. "If anything, I'll get the reprimanding."

"Not from Jaemin," Donghyuck pointed out

"Okay, yeah. Good luck dealing with him." The elevator dinged, opening its doors for them to step in.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sporty."

"Any time, Haechan."

And then silence again. They couldn't keep a conversation going for the life of them, could they? Donghyuck sighed, resting his forehead against the cool wall of the elevator and closed his eyes to take some deep breaths.

When Donghyuck opened his eyes again, he was greeted with a concerned looking Mark and another ding from the lift, telling them that they had made it to their requested level. Not knowing what to say, Donghyuck rushed out of the elevator and down the hallway to the only meeting room with noise and light being emitted from it.

"Hi, Tae, sorry we're late. I didn't wake up until—" Donghyuck let the apologies tumble from his lips as he entered the room, but was cut off by Taeyong sweeping him in a hug, murmuring his own apologies in his little brother's ear.

"Hyuckie, Hyuck, Sunflower, I'm so so sorry about last night. I might have been able to do something to stop it, Jesus Christ you have a mark on your neck from it now," Donghyuck tuned out Taeyong's ramblings and just held him tighter. He peeked over Taeyong's shoulder to see Jaehyun and Mark standing next to each other, whispering in hushed tones but never taking their eyes off of the brothers or the fond smiles off of their faces.

"Tae." Donghyuck pulled back from his brother. "I'm okay. Are _you_ okay?"

"Yeah. I spent the night at Jaehyun's so I didn't disturb you." A smirk crept onto Donghyuck's face as he absorbed Taeyong's words.

"Spent the night at Jaehyun's, hmm?" He lifted a suggestive eyebrow only to get smacked in the arm by his brother—who's face now matched his hair—and to catch sight of a cackling Jaehyun in the background.

"Let's just get the meeting started," Taeyong ducked his head and made his way to the head of the table. Donghyuck grabbed the empty chair next to Mark, but noted that there were still three empty chairs to his own left. 

"Who still isn't here?"

"Absolutely no one. We're all here, none of us were late, what are you talking about." Jaemin walked into the room, Jeno and Renjun on either side of him, all three of them giggling and holding hands.

"Right, of course. Take your seats, boys, so we can get started." Jaehyun instructed, clearly fighting to keep a smile off of his face.

Jaemin made a face at being called a boy, but Donghyuck yanked him into the seat next to him before he could make any unnecessary protests. Jaemin planted a kiss on Donghyuck's head, letting him know he was thankful for the older keeping him from making a fool of himself. Donghyuck just let out a small hum in reply before turning his attention to Taeyong.

"So..." Taeyong took in a breath. "We've had about eighteen hours to do our research on these people—"

"The Jinsil," Jaehyun interjected.

"What do we know about them? Who are they? Who are their allies? Any known connections? Is there any way that they'd know the information that they do?" Taeyong asked, leaving the questions open for anyone to answer. Donghyuck didn't see when Mark had pulled out a laptop, but he was talking now, reading off of some documents and pages that he could see pulled up on the screen.

"There's honestly not much to know. They have one leader who goes under the alias 'J', but other than that we have no insight on individual personnel."

"The first time they made an appearance was last night," Johnny put in, leaning forward on the table. Mark nodded in confirmation.

"The Jinsil have never made any public appearances or announcements before the gala and there was next to no information on their existence as a group before then, and even then, I'm not sure how accurate or reliable that small amount of information is."

"I can check up on the sources if they're within the country," Lucas offered. 

"I'll set you and Jungwoo on that, if Yuta and Sicheng can work on the list of contacts I just sent you two for possible international sources," Mark was typing as fast as he was speaking. Being in a meeting, Donghyuck realized, was very similar to a tennis match. He kept turning his head from side to side in order to try and keep up with who was speaking and who was saying what.

The other thing Donghyuck noticed was that it seemed like Mark ran the meeting more than either Taeyong or Jaehyun. They were sitting at the head of the table practically cuddling over the arms of their chairs, taking occasional notes while Mark did the large majority of the planning and speaking.

It was somewhere next to appalling, but equally amusing, Donghyuck supposed. Even with being CFO, Mark didn't get enough credit for the work he did.

"The only other important piece of information I've found is that they must work under the guise of another company, not to dissimilar from what we do to be honest, because that's the only way that they can operate with that large of a personnel with such discretion."

"So they're a lot like us?"

Taeyong leaned back in his chair. "I'll have a discussion with Seungcheol and Namjoon about their thoughts on these findings. Everyone try to get in contact with our international counterparts and spread the information discreetly, but keep it within company walls. This isn't something we can have being leaked to the media."

The whole room was a quiet frenzy of phones and computers for a moment, typing down notes and reminders for what they knew they had to do. "Operations on all levels except for 127 will be temporarily halted due to the situation as well." Taeyong's instructions seemed to make sense to everyone else, but Donghyuck was more than a little lost at this point.

"What does that mean?" Donghyuck finally spoke up and silence hit the room like a truck. It was a moment before Taeyong broke the quiet.

"Is everyone okay with—"

"Taeyong, no," Mark's voice held a note of pleading that Donghyuck had never heard before.

"Is everyone alright with me explaining things to Donghyuck?" Taeyong ignored Mark.

"Taeyong,  _no_." Mark slammed his laptop shut and looked as if he was about to jump up on the table again, but Taeyong continued before Mark could get a word out.

"You've already expressed your personal opinion on the subject, Mark. Does anyone else have any objections?" Not a response was heard to Taeyong's question other than the subtle shaking of some heads. Mark's objections must have had something to do with what he and Donghyuck had talked about in the car on their way over.

"I think he deserves to know the truth, Mark" Ten, who was sitting on the other side of Mark spoke gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

" _No_. What he deserves is to have a life outside of this... this world! He still has the chance, and if I can stop him from going through the same things that I was forced to, you can be damned sure I will." Mark shook Ten's hand off and shoved his chair back to stand.

"Does he _really_ have the chance anymore, Minhyung? Just stop and  _think_ about what happened last night and what he heard today. Donghyuck's already as much a part of this as you are, and I think it's time he heard the whole story." Taeyong stood up to match Mark, not raising his voice in volume, Donghyuck was surprised the power of it didn't knock Mark over.

Mark glanced down at Donghyuck, and whatever he saw in Donghyuck's face seemed to break his resolve. "Fine, Taeyong. Tell Donghyuck everything he needs to know, but I won't be a part of it. I can't." And with that, Mark walked out of the room, leaving the other seventeen people speechless. 

For a moment, it's as if the room doesn't know how to function without Mark: absent minded taps of fingers, slow exhales, the air the room changed from confident to confused the moment Mark walked out that door. 

"So last night, what did J mean that mother and father were killed by a rival gang?" Donghyuck asked as Taeyong slid back into his seat.

Jaehyun let out a breathy laugh. "You really don't beat around the bush, do you?" Donghyuck shook his head. Taeyong tucked himself into Jaehyun and began to explain.

"Our parents built this company from the ground up when they were in high school. Along the way, they met the parents of all the other bosses in the room, and became quite close with all of them for some reason or another. You know how father always was with his connections,"

"It was like no matter where we went, he always knew someone," Donghyuck filled in, playing with Jaemin's fingers but not taking his eyes off of his brother.

"Exactly. Along the way, however, when he ended up doing some work for the government, he ended up in the middle of some less-than-savory friendships because he had access to government-grade information. But father never gave anything away for free, even if it was illegal, and those who couldn't pay the price ended up indebted to  _NCT._ There were other companies starting to pop up at this time that ran similar fronts as us, but had their hands in different dealings. No one could compete with the overall reign of  _NCT_."

"What do you mean by front?"

"We aren't exactly a business as we say we are." Jaemin turned to Donghyuck. "We don't manufacture pharmaceuticals and clothing and computer chips like our three branches advertise. Dream specializes in opioid producing and distribution, U does make computers and computer parts but they also create malware and software for less benevolent purposes, and 127 manufactures clothing and weapons, yet the weapons are under the same name as the clothing so they can't be tracked."

"So everything anyone has told me about  _NCT_ so far has been a lie?" Donghyuck asked, leaning back in his chair with an exhale.

Ten shrugged. "Pretty much."

"I suppose I see why," Donghyuck frowned. "What happened next with the company after father started giving out that information?" 

"There were a lot of people who were uncomfortable with  _NCT_ holding such a position of power in the industries it did, and they wanted to find a weakness. Lucky for them, you had just been born, and that provided an opportunity for many. Do you remember that time you were almost kidnapped?"

"The five men dressed in black who hopped out of a white, nondescript van, and offered candy to a three-year-old me while mother was tending to your scraped knee, only to have me tell them that I was trying to eat healthier and walked away? Yeah." Donghyuck recounted as Jaemin snorted.

"The anecdote was unnecessary, Duckie." Jaemin whispered, but Donghyuck just hummed noncommittally and turned his attention back to Taeyong.

 "And there were other attempts too, but none that even got close to as far as that one after our parents upped the security around you. After you turned four, a letter arrived on our doorstep, telling our parents that if they didn't give you up, they'd pull the curtain up on  _NCT_ 's background operations. Of course, there was never a shred of doubt in either of our parent's minds that they'd give you up to a terrorist organization, so they fought back."

Taeyong paused to take in a shaky breath. "After months of investigations and searching, they found the people that sent the letter. They called in some favors and had the entire group arrested, but not everyone was satiated. Some of the more shady people that father dealt with saw them as a liability within their circle, and decided to transfer their business elsewhere and have our parents eliminated. So about six months after you turned five, our parents were shot and killed on their way to a company meeting."

Taeyong choked out the last few words and Donghyuck just sat completely still. This was all news to him, but it must have also been new information to some of the other bosses due to the gasps and hands that flew to mouths as Taeyong was talking. But Donghyuck wasn't paying attention to that. He was absorbed with the fact that his parents had died because of him. However, Johnny seemed to read his mind.

"Your parents weren't killed because of you, sunflower. Don't ever get that in your head because it's not true." Johnny spoke out before Donghyuck could dwell on his thoughts for too much longer.

"But—" 

"No 'if's, 'and's, or 'but's. This wasn't your fault in any way shape or form, Donghyuck." A short man spoke from a couple seats over—Taeil, if Donghyuck remembered correctly. Taeyong got up out of his chair and hugged Donghyuck for the second time today. Donghyuck sighed, melting into his brother's touch. The whispered apologies in his ear eased his conscience.

"It wasn't because of you, Hyuckie. I'll always protect you from now on." Taeyong promised, making his little brother smile for a moment.

"Thank you, Tae." Donghyuck mumbled back.

"The best course of action for your protection is to keep eyes on you at all times." Taeyong mused aloud, and Donghyuck could tell he already didn't like where this was going. "So I'm going to put you on house arrest until the blows over. Full security detail."

" _Hell_ no." Donghyuck jumped up.

"Hell  _yes_. Mark will take you back home. We have more things to discuss here." Taeyong ushered Donghyuck towards the door, but the younger planted his feet.

"You're  _kidding_ , Tae. I don't even get a say in this?"

"No. Home is the safest place for you right now, so that's where you're going to stay."

"Taeyong!"

"Call Mark. I'll be home late tonight." The older Lee practically pushed Donghyuck the rest of the way out of the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Donghyuck standing stock still in shock once again. 

Donghyuck caught a muffled ' _maybe that was a little harsh, Taeyong_ ,' from the other side of the door, but he couldn't make out any other conversation.

"You've got to be kidding me." Donghyuck huffed. The last place he wanted to go was back home now, and he was determined to make sure he didn't go there. So he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and found Mark's number that had been saved in his phone since Donghyuck's birthday and called him.

" _Hyuck_?" Mark picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Mark,"

" _You're not in the meeting anymore_?" Mark sounded confused, which meant that he didn't know Donghyuck was supposed to go home yet. Great.

"Nah. Do you want to go somewhere?" Donghyuck walked to the end of the hallway and pressed the button to call the elevator.

" _Donghyuck why aren't you in that meeting? You need to figure out everything you can since you already know this much._ "

"Taeyong kicked me out." Donghyuck admitted, scuffing his shoe on the ground.

" _And why in hell would he do that_?" 

"I dunno," The elevator dinged and the doors opened, ready to bring him back to the lobby.

" _Hold on, I just got a message from Taeyong._ "

"No don't read it—" 

" _It says to pick you up and bring you straight home where you'll be placed on house arrest with full security detail until further notice._ " The accusatory tone in Mark's voice made Donghyuck duck his head. " _Why didn't you just tell me_?"

"I don't want to go back home," Donghyuck made a face at how childish he sounded and was glad Mark wasn't actually here with him. He was greeted with a sigh, and could almost see Mark rubbing a hand over his face.

" _Just meet me back out in the parking garage in five, okay_?" And the line went dead. 

Donghyuck pouted all the way there, and was met with a frowning Mark leaning up against his Tesla. 

"Do we have to—" Donghyuck started.

"Yes." Mark cut him off and opened his door to get in the car. Donghyuck figured that since he was already acting childish, he might as well continue just to prove his point. The moment Mark sat down in the driver's seat, Donghyuck jumped in and sat on Mark's lap. A drawn out groan came from the man underneath him. "Donghyuck are you kidding me?"

"Absolutely not. Let's be on our way." Donghyuck tried to pull the seat belt over them, knowing fully well that it wouldn't work. Mark struggled to push Donghyuck off without hurting him, but Donghyuck closed the door and shifted around to face Mark. "Aren't you going to take me home?" The two held eye contact for a moment, Mark having yet to respond. Then Donghyuck made the fatal mistake of glancing down at Mark's lips.

Mark reached up and brought down to bring Donghyuck's head down to his so that their foreheads were touching. "Not if you keep acting like this."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes playfully, turning completely so he was straddling Mark. Not the most comfortable position, but with the anticipation of what was possibly going to happen, the last thing he wanted to do was move again. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Mark's fingers were playing with the hair on the nape of Donghyuck's neck, giving him goosebumps. They sat there like that for a moment before Donghyuck realized that maybe Mark really  _wasn't_ going to do anything about this. So Donghyuck surged forward the last few centimeters necessary to bring their lips together.

Nothing had ever felt more right in Donghyuck's entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mhmm guess who can't keep an updating schedule? ME  
> when i started writing this, i legitimately meant to update it once a week on weekends but we can all see that hasn't happened in any way shape or form since like august  
> long story short: classes are hard and i'm unreliable  
> thank you all for sticking with me and continuing to show BOSS so much love!  
> your comments and kudos never go unnoticed and unappreciated by me!  
> much love!  
> <3


	8. Debauchery and Dangerous Escapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Tesla really doesn't have the room for this _spice_  
>  Jaemin comes in clutch (albeit with ulterior motives)  
> featuring Donghyuck's great escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!! guys !!!!!  
>  I GOT BETAS!!!!!! I GOT LOVELY PEOPLE TO COME HELP ME FIX MY WORK!!!!!  
> writing has been a much easier and smoother process with them and i canNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH!!!!  
> the amazing [@foodjuseyo](https://twitter.com/foodjuseyo) helped me immensely on this chapter!  
> she has saved my ass throughout this past week or so and i love her so much!! please go show them some love!!
> 
> (also there's some _questionable_ content in this chapter, which includes but isn't limited to: borderline mature-rated actions on Markhyuck's part, and some sexual humor, but it's Jaemin so are we really surprised?)

When Donghyuck's lips met Mark's, the older made a small noise—of surprise, Donghyuck guessed, as it certainly was not one of protest—as he brought one hand down to Donghyuck's waist to bring their chests flush together. Donghyuck smiled into the kiss, threading his fingers gently into Mark's hair as their lips moved together, albeit a bit timidly.

Mark didn't kiss like Donghyuck had expected. There was nothing remotely rough or demanding about the way he gently cupped Donghyuck's face with one hand, the other resting lightly on Donghyuck's waist. The kiss was all gentle touches and languid movements that kept Donghyuck on his toes as they both got a little more comfortable with each other.

When they parted slightly to catch their breath, Mark whispered a very stupid question against Donghyuck's lips. "Is this okay?" Donghyuck sat back a little bit to look Mark straight in the face and give him an exaggerated eye roll.

"If it wasn't okay, I wouldn't have started it. Now get back here sporty." Donghyuck murmured, eagerly pressing his lips back onto Mark's in attempt to regain the same rhythm they had between them moments earlier, and they did for a moment, until Mark tilted his head to the side a bit and _oh._

_OH._

Donghyuck's mind went blank for a moment when Mark found the perfect angle to slot their lips together making it a little less innocent than it had been. He heard himself let out a little moan and felt his face heat up with embarrassment, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away or explain the noise to Mark. Donghyuck had a feeling that Mark was a lot more experienced than he let on, but now wasn't the time to question where he got all of his practice in when the elder parted Donghyuck's lips with his own and gently licked into the younger's mouth.

Both of Mark's hands had found their way to Donghyuck's waist, untucking his dress shirt so he could rub little circles into the delicate skin there, sending shivers all over Donghyuck's body as the younger did his best to keep up with everything that was happening. There was just so much _Mark_ , it made him dizzy. Donghyuck had to keep reminding himself that _yes, this was real_.

Then Mark detached his lips from Donghyuck's, but were only gone for the moment it took to find their way to his neck before the younger had a chance to complain about the loss of contact. Instead, a whine was drawn from the back of his throat as Mark sucked little bruises onto the delicate honey-toned skin of Donghyuck's neck, his tongue darting out to soothe the wounds before moving on.

"M-Mark," Donghyuck was struggling to breathe as it was, let alone think or speak properly, Mark's name coming out as a stutter between heaves of his chest and hitches of his breath. He felt Mark smile against his skin and hum.

"Yes, Hyuck?"

"A-Are you, _ohmygod_ —" Donghyuck couldn't even get his question out before Mark found the little sensitive spot on the juncture between his neck and collar, nibbling gently at the skin, causing the breath to whoosh out of Donghyuck's lungs. Mark deftly undid the first few buttons of Donghyuck's dress shirt, pressing kisses to the exposed skin.

Donghyuck threw his head back with a breathy sigh as Mark pressed a light kiss onto the thin scar he'd gotten yesterday at the gala, his collar being pulled down and tossed off his shoulder as the last buttons at the bottom were unfastened. Donghyuck brought his head back up when he felt Mark move away, seeing the older gazing at Donghyuck's skin, admiring the lightly bruising marks—his handiwork. Donghyuck, however, had a lot less patience, so he dove back into Mark, capturing his lips once again.

Now _this_ is what he'd imagined kissing Mark would be like—not saying that Donghyuck often thought about it or anything preposterous like that, though—the rougher touches, heavy breaths, and hot skin... On the other hand, though, Donghyuck had his shirt unbuttoned and hanging off of his shoulders whereas Mark's tie was still adjusted and in place. Donghyuck, being Donghyuck, decided that something had to be done about that.

"Your turn," Donghyuck told Mark as he pulled back with a grin. A look of confusion flitted across Mark's face for a moment before Donghyuck returned his lips back to Mark, but not in the place they had been before. Donghyuck laid out a small pattern of butterfly kisses along Mark's jawline before sucking a hickey right under his jaw as he moved his hands to the tie around Mark's neck.

Never before in his life had Donghyuck been so thankful that he had been tying and untying windsor knots since he could talk, because he didn't have to look at his fingers to know that they were expertly undoing the tie and pulling it out of his collar in one smooth stroke without ever having to take his lips off of Mark's beautiful skin. With a particularly bruising kiss placed right at the newly exposed base of Mark's throat, Mark arched his back off the seat with something that could only be described as a low moan reverberating through his chest, and Donghyuck took the opportunity to nearly rip the blazer off of Mark and toss it in the back seat.

Donghyuck took _pride_ in the small noises Mark made as he created a masterpiece of bites and bruises on his perfect pale skin. The deep rumbles in his chest let Donghyuck know when he landed upon a sensitive spot, the hisses when he kissed just the right spot, the pleased _ahh_ 's when he soothed a new bite with his tongue. Donghyuck felt a swell of pride in his chest with every response he got from Mark, and couldn't help but wonder if the other felt the same.

Donghyuck's fingers swiftly undid the buttons of the older’s dress shirt, trailing kisses all the way down his chest as he went, seeing Mark’s hand out of the corner of his eye fumble for the button to recline the seat. He could feel the muscles of Mark's abdomen tense as Donghyuck ghosted his lips over them until the last button of the shirt was undone and Mark's hand tucked itself under Donghyuck's chin to bring him back up so that they were at eye level once again.

He only got a second to admire Mark's ruddy cheeks and blown pupils before Donghyuck was drawn back in for another searing kiss by the hand on his chin. Mark took control of the kiss, fiercely licking past Donghyuck's lips and his hands tightening on Donghyuck's waist, but Donghyuck had no qualms with just being along for the ride, his hands grappling for purchase on Mark's half-clothed back as he let out muffled sounds of pleasure between breaths.

Everything was so hot, and Donghyuck's senses were completely filled with just _Mark_. Mark's hands on his waist, Mark's chest against his, Mark's lips moving in sync with his own, Mark's quick breaths mingled with Donghyuck's own labored ones, Mark's minty taste cooling his burning mouth, the scent of Mark filled him with every inhale: fresh pine and petrichor.

Mark, Mark, _Mark_. Donghyuck was consumed by him.

Everything just felt so right, it was impossible for Donghyuck not to respond when Mark provoked him. He positively keened when Mark sucked on his tongue, a long, high and reedy sound being drawn from the depths of him. Yet it wasn't until he accidentally ground down on Mark's thigh that anything actually paused. Mark drew back from Donghyuck, tensing his thigh in test.

It had been an involuntary move, just his body looking for friction to satiate all of the desire headed south, but Jesus Christ, Donghyuck's known Mark for less than a week and if he'd been thinking straight—which he obviously hadn't—Donghyuck would have put a stop to this earlier. But oh _god_ , Mark was so hard to resist.

"Shit, Mark, I'm sorry—" Donghyuck was looking everywhere but the man whose lap he was currently perched on.

"Hyuck," Mark placed a finger on Donghyuck's lips to keep him from rambling. "It's okay."

"But I didn't mean to, and it just kind of happened, and now the moment is ruined and— _mmmf_!" Donghyuck was cut off from speaking when Mark gently replaced his finger with his lips, the soft kiss silencing the younger. It was short and sweet and got the job done, but after they'd parted, Donghyuck still refused to look at Mark.

"Haechan." Mark called gently, forcing Donghyuck's eyes back on the elder with the use of the nickname. "It's alright. We're okay. You did nothing wrong. It was just a little... unexpected." Mark spoke slowly as if he was trying to find the right words.

"Are you sure?" Donghyuck searched Mark's eyes nervously, looking for any sign of discomfort, but all he found was a familiar warmth within the deep brown irises.

"Completely." Mark chuckled, putting his hands back on Donghyuck's sides to rub little circles into his waist. Donghyuck collapsed himself onto Mark gently, tucking himself under Mark's chin and snuggling up to his bare chest. The older gently thumbed over the light scar on Donghyuck’s neck, soothing him.

"So what happens now?" Donghyuck asked, but was only met with a hum of confusion from the older so he continued. "Between us, I mean. This means _something_ , doesn't it?" Mark sighed.

"It does, but I don't know what happens next. Especially given what the press already thinks of us and, dear god, if your brother ever figured out that we were doing this..." Mark drew in a shaky breath, bringing a hand up to play with Donghyuck's hair. "I don't know where we go from here. I honestly don't."

Donghyuck nodded, burying his face in Mark's shoulder to press a kiss there before he sat back up to pull on his shirt from where it had been resting, unbuttoned at his elbows. Donghyuck began to redo the buttons, but his hands were still shaking from the adrenaline, so Mark let out a gentle laugh and did it for him. Mark's lightheartedness of the mortifying situation put Donghyuck more at ease as he reached beside himself to the passenger seat where Mark's tie was discarded from earlier.

By the time Donghyuck had gotten it untangled from the gear shift, Mark was just finishing buttoning up his own shirt so most of the new bruises disappeared under the fabric, leaving Donghyuck to gulp and redo the tie. Donghyuck resituated himself on Mark's lap as he carefully threaded the cloth through his collar, looping it around itself in the front to make the knot. Donghyuck may or may not have let his hands linger on Mark's chest for a moment or two longer than necessary after he adjusted the tie to rest right where it was supposed to be.

Donghyuck sighed and sat back on his haunches, not arguing when Mark reached forward to carefully tuck Donghyuck's shirt into his now creased jeans for a painstakingly long amount of time, seemingly mapping out the edges and dips of Donghyuck's hips with the pads of his fingers. Donghyuck fought back a shiver that threatened to make its way up his spine.

"I think it's time to bring you home, Hyuck." Mark relaxed back against his seat, his soft gaze making Donghyuck's previous stubborn resolve disappear. Donghyuck nodded, but didn't move for a moment, taking another second to absorb their position and the situation. Apparently, that moment was too long for Mark, who put his arms behind Donghyuck's back and under his legs respectively, scooping him up—Donghyuck refused to admit that he squeaked and grabbed onto Mark's biceps—and over the center panel, placing him in the passenger seat with the utmost of care.

"That was unnecessary." Donghyuck huffed out a small laugh, pulling the seat belt over him. Mark snorted, straightening his seat back up.

"I know."

The rest of the ride back to the Lee mansion was quiet, but not uncomfortable by any means. Whenever Mark's hand wasn't on the gear shift, it was gently resting on Donghyuck's thigh with Donghyuck's hand laid atop the other's, lacing their fingers together for the entire ride. Donghyuck was quietly humming, under his breath, a tune of an old choir song that he used to know, resting his head against the cool window to help quell the heat that still lingered in his cheeks. It wasn't until Mark had to wake Donghyuck up via squeezing his hand that the younger knew he had dozed off at all.

"Haechan..." Mark whispered, leaning over to plant a kiss on Donghyuck's cheek as his eyes fluttered open. "We're home."

"Oh?" Donghyuck murmured, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "So soon?" Mark laughed.

"It's nine at night, Hyuckie." Mark gestured to the darkness outside of the car. "I don't think the word 'soon' should be used in this context."

"Mmm." Donghyuck flashed Mark a sleepy smile, unbuckling himself. "If you say so." Donghyuck opened the door of Mark's car, and put a foot out before a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Wait a second," Mark told Donghyuck when he turned back around, swinging his leg back in the car, but leaving the door open. Mark never told Donghyuck what he wanted the younger to wait for, instead showing him. Donghyuck positively melted into Mark's unexpected—yet sweet—kiss, nestling into the older's hand when it reached across to cup Donghyuck's cheek.

"You're going soft." Donghyuck told him after a beat, but Mark just laughed, placing a chaste kiss on his lips once more before leaning back, letting Donghyuck climb out of the car.

"Goodnight, Haechan." Donghyuck felt the heat rise in his cheeks with the fondness that was laced through Mark's words.

"G'night, sporty." He returned with a smile and a small wave as he closed the door, watching Mark back out of the driveway. Donghyuck resisted the strong urge to fist pump as he turned around and opened the garage to enter the house.

His good mood disappeared immediately when he was greeted with three unfamiliar men dressed in dark suits with ear pieces, all standing in the entryway, watching him with cold eyes. He had completely forgotten that he was on house arrest the moment he got back, and suddenly wished he'd spent more time out in the car with Mark. He cursed himself again mentally for ruining it, but drew himself out of his thoughts to address the men.

"I'm Donghyuck." He stuck out a hand, but none of the men took it, leaving Donghyuck to awkwardly lower it while one of the men began speaking.

"We know. You know why we're here?"

Donghyuck sighed. "Yes."

"Good. Stay in the house unless otherwise escorted around the grounds by one of us, but you're not allowed to leave the property. If you need us, we'll be down here or patrolling the grounds." There was an air of finality with his words, and he knew that it was non-negotiable. He was stuck in the house for the foreseeable future.

"I'll just be up in my room. Not down here. Or patrolling the grounds. Or plotting my escape." Donghyuck muttered, brushing past the stoic men to walk up the stairs, loving the thought of curling up in his bed with a good book right about now.

"And Donghyuck, remember that this is for your own safety." The man spoke, but Donghyuck didn't bother turning around, just waving a hand over his shoulder in acknowledgement before trudging up to his bedroom where he promptly flopped down on the bed with a dramatic exhale. Donghyuck grabbed the book he was in the middle of and curled up under his duvet to get some reading in before he was sure he'd crash. Despite how hard he concentrated on the words, he couldn't find it within himself to wind down, contrary to what his state had been not much earlier in Mark's car.

Donghyuck let out a groan of frustration, letting the book drop onto his lap. He felt so restless all of a sudden, realizing that there was no way that he was going to fall asleep unless someone took a two-by-four to the back of his head. Donghyuck dropped his head into his hands in defeat until he realized that he could probably have Jaemin over for some entertainment. A smile grew on Donghyuck's face as he pulled out his phone to call his best friend, who picked up, much to Donghyuck's delight, after only the second ring.

" _Hey, Duckie. What's up_?"

"Hey, Minnie. You out of that meeting yet?" Donghyuck asked and was greeted by light laughter from the other side of the line.

" _Got so bored of house arrest that you called me? It must be terrible._ "

Donghyuck slumped down his headboard, running a hand over his face. "I've been home for ten minutes and I already need to leave. Minnie, you have no idea." There was silence on Jaemin's side for a moment before he spoke again.

" _I have an idea to get you out, if you're down_." Jaemin offered carefully, as if afraid Donghyuck was actually going to say no.

"I'm all ears."

" _Can I come over? I'll explain when I get there, but you should be ready to head out._ " Donghyuck could almost hear the gears in Jaemin's brain turning as he formed a plan.

"Come as fast as you can. I'll be waiting."

" _See you soon, Duckie._ " Jaemin rushed out, hanging up before Donghyuck could reply. Donghyuck sat up, adrenaline rushing through him. Jaemin lived about ten minutes away, if that, so he figured he'd have a solid fifteen before Jaemin rung the doorbell.

Donghyuck was wrong.

In precisely seven and a half minutes, Jaemin burst through the front door, skipping the doorbell entirely, Jeno and Renjun in toe. Donghyuck was just pulling on a black hoodie and stumbling down the stairs when they entered, Jaemin already calling out for his best friend.

"Duckie, your security sucks!"

"They probably weren't questioning you since you look like the most harmless frat boy in the world right now." Donghyuck fired back, scanning over Jaemin's pastel polo, khaki shorts, and white baseball cap placed on backwards to keep his unruly bangs out of his face.

"Still. That might be a problem. What if Jinsil shows up dressed like frat boys? Would your guards let them in?" Jaemin asked.

"No, Minnie. I told them you were coming over." Donghyuck grinned, leaning on the banister.

Jaemin pouted. "That's no fun."

Renjun snorted from the back. "No, that's Jeno." The comment was followed by an audible whack and a cry from Renjun who was now rubbing his arm, a smug Jeno standing next to him. Donghyuck noted that his poker face needed some work before turning back to Jaemin.

"So what's your plan?"

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to not be so loud while devising secret plans?" Jaemin slung an arm around Donghyuck's shoulder and led him back to his bedroom.

"No, you did a really horrible job of that, actually."

Jeno laughed from behind them. "I like him." Jaemin whirled around to give Jeno a glare, but there wasn't any heat to it.

"So I was thinking..." Jaemin finally said after all four of them were in Donghyuck's bedroom with the door shut. "Please don't kill me once I tell you this."

"Just explain already!" Donghyuck complained, crossing his arms in impatience. Jaemin raised his hands in defence, taking a deep breath.

"We will tell your guards to leave us alone because we're having a foursome. They'll leave us alone. That'll give you until about daybreak to do whatever you want and get back here without dying." Jaemin hurried out, leaving Donghyuck with his jaw open, searching his best friend's face for any sign of joking.

"You're kidding?"

"Nope."

"Absolutely not." Donghyuck made a move to get up, but Jaemin outstretched an arm to halt him.

"Do you have any better ideas or do you actually want to stay cooped up in this house for god-knows-how-long?"

"Maybe? I don't know? I haven't thought about it yet..." Donghyuck replied, sinking back into the mattress.

"Do you think there's really anything else that you can say that they'd believe? They're not dumb people, Hyuck."

"Exactly! They won't fall for this!"

"Maybe not, but do you think they'd risk checking?"

Donghyuck ran a hand through his hair in contemplation. "You really thought this through, didn't you?"

Jaemin flashed his signature blinding smile. "I always do." Donghyuck raised an eyebrow so high he's sure it disappeared right off his forehead, forcing Jaemin to amend his statement. "Usually... okay, I _occasionally_ think things through." Donghyuck looked between him and Jeno and Renjun, the latter two of the three were whispering to each other quietly at the foot of the bed.

"So I don't really have another choice?"

"Not as it appears right now, no."

"So how would I get out and back in if I said yes?"

"You still have that trellis by your window, don't you?" Jaemin asked, climbing off Donghyuck's bed to peek out the window at the trellis, which was indeed still there, although it had been replaced since he and Jaemin used to use it to escape from Donghyuck's room as children. "Just pray it'll hold you." Jaemin shrugged, returning to the bed. Donghyuck leaned his head back against the wall and thought through his options for a second before deciding that he really needed to get out of the house.

"Okay, it's a deal." Donghyuck conceded. "What do we do first?"

A slightly maniacal grin grew on Jaemin's face. "This." And before Donghyuck could even think about stopping him, he ran over to the door of Donghyuck's bedroom, and whipped it open. "Hey security dudes! We're having an orgy up here so please don't bother us unless you plan on joining!"

There was a distant incredulous "What did that kid just say?!" from one of the guards downstairs that Donghyuck managed to catch before Jaemin slammed the door back shut.

"Holy shit, Minnie." Donghyuck choked. "You did _not_ just do that."

"I did." Jaemin smiled, sitting back down on the bed between Renjun and Jeno.

"You had better not be serious about them joining, Jaem, or we're going to have a problem." Renjun interjected in a surprisingly threatening tone.

"Of course not, _baobei_." Jaemin planted a small kiss on the side of Renjun's mouth, then an identical one on Jeno's because he pouted about not getting one.

"Okay then..." Donghyuck coughed. "I'm just going to Ten's studio, and I'll have my phone on me."

"Have fun, Duckie. Be safe, and come back in one piece." Jaemin pulled Donghyuck in for a quick hug before carefully pushing him off the bed. "Now get going so we can have more time." Jaemin snaked an arm around Jeno's waist, placing a kiss on his jaw. A shiver visibly wracked Jeno's body, causing Renjun to let out a little huff of laughter.

Donghyuck grimaced. "I'm going to need to sterilize my entire room after this, aren't I?"

Jaemin grinned, his hand already on Renjun's thigh. "You know it."

"As long as you promise to change the sheets on my bed before I'm back." Donghyuck said, already making his way to the window. "And Jaemin?"

"Yeah, Hyuck?" Jaemin gasped, Jeno leaving kisses on his neck.

"Don't defile anything else while I'm gone." Donghyuck grabbed his wallet from where he'd tossed it on his desk and the earbuds that were lying next to it.

"No promises. Now scram, I'm about to be very busy." Jaemin's words got stuck in the back of his throat, and Donghyuck only caught a glimpse of Renjun climbing on top of Jaemin's lap to kiss him straight on. Donghyuck winced, wondering if Jaemin would be thinking the same thing if he had seen him and Mark this afternoon.

"I think I'll need to sterilize my eyes with bleach, too, while I'm at it." Donghyuck muttered, but Jaemin must have heard it because he was promptly smacked in the back of the head with a pillow that had been whipped across the room just before he ducked out of the window. Donghyuck was glad he'd gotten back into working out over the spring and that he was lighter than he used to be as he carefully picked his way down the trellis out into the open air of the night.

Donghyuck took a deep breath before pulling the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and plugged his headphones in, scrolling until he found his favorite playlist. With TWICE's _Dance the Night Away_ blasting in his ears, he took off into the darkness, resolving to make the most of whatever time he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!!!!!!!  
> i feel so so so blessed to be getting this much love and support on BOSS and couldn't be more thankful for each and every one of you!!!!!!  
> however, i have made a commitment to a writing contest and i need to write a 7.5k fic where i have to have at least half of it written by november 14th, and it completely finished by december 19th  
> that, unfortunately, means that my updates will be even MORE slow due to the rising amounts of work in my honors classes, my music auditions within the upcoming weeks, and that contest.  
> BUT I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET OUT A CHAPTER EVERY 2-4 WEEKS LIKE ACTUALLY PLEASE COME YELL AT ME IF I DON'T  
> i love you all so so so much and i can't wait to continue writing for you!!!!  
> <3  
> (p.s. send me your predictions of what's going to happen next and your thoughts on the chapter!! i love hearing from you guys!!!)


	9. Colonel Mark in the Billiard Room with the Wrench (In Donghyuck's Plans)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin’s plan fails (but only kind of)  
> Donghyuck’s sneaking skills need some work  
> Taeyong just wants his brother to be safe, goddamnit  
> Mark is done with everyone (but isn’t opposed to cuddles)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp this took wayyyy too long to write and post but it's here now!!  
> another hUGE thank you to my betas for their massive amounts of help!! [@foodjuseyo](https://twitter.com/foodjuseyo) on twitter and [yuvana](https://yuva-nah.tumblr.com) on tumblr  
> please go give them love and appreciation because they deserve the ENTIRE WORLD  
> and ???? this is almost at 9k????? i can't believe it?????  
> i wrote about some important stuff in my author's note at the end, so try and read that if you have the time!

So, all things considered, _maybe_ taking his bike to the dance studio wasn’t the best decision Donghyuck has ever made. The night air was uncharacteristically cold for the middle of June, causing goosebumps to rise up on his skin as he pedaled through the city. Donghyuck tucked his fingers further into his sleeves, cursing himself once again for forgetting his car at the _NCT_ parking garage on his birthday when he snatched the keys to Mark’s Tesla and drove them to the restaurant.

Donghyuck knows the route to Ten’s dance studio like the back of his hand—he has been going there since he could walk—but Donghyuck never had to ride his bike there before. The roads seemed different now that he wasn’t in a car, and frankly, Donghyuck was a little worried that he’d have to stray from the path that he knew so well.

It wasn’t like the studio was all that far away, but it was the fact that Donghyuck was already breaking the rules, there was probably an entire group of terrorists after him, and that he wasn’t near Mark for the first time in four days which scared him the most. Not even having his favorite songs playing through his earbuds as he pedaled along the trail could fight off the creeping sensation that something was going to go horribly wrong.

Donghyuck didn’t even realize that he was so anxious to get to his destination until he leaned his bike up against the wall next to the back entrance of the studio and felt tension bleed out of his posture. Rolling his shoulders back, he grabbed the studio key card from his wallet that Ten had given him so he could get into the studio whenever he wanted, and if Donghyuck rolled his bike into the lobby to keep it warm while he was practicing, Ten never had to know.

Donghyuck had to turn most of the lights on when he got in, which led him to believe that Ten wasn’t working or practicing late, leaving Donghyuck to have the entire studio to himself for as long as Jaemin’s “distraction” allowed.

He walked down the long hallway of practice rooms to the little one at the end, its doorway almost hidden around the corner of the hallway. It was the smallest practice room in Ten’s studio, but it was the perfect size for him—and sometimes Ten, when they were practicing the choreo together—plus, it had the best acoustics.

Pushing the door open with his shoulder, Donghyuck slung his sweatshirt off into the back corner of the room, making his way over to the sound system where his music was still queued up from when he had left the studio earlier that week, meaning no one had used the room since then.

Donghyuck stretched, listening through his choreography music as he worked his muscles back into shape for dancing. He was already a bit physically tired from biking all the way to the studio, but he hoped that by working on the choreography a couple of times would tire out his mind enough to stop it from running a million miles a minute. 

He made his way through the dance the first time, but he needed at least four hands to count all of the mistakes he made—and those were just the ones he could tell without recording himself to critique. Donghyuck knew he was always a little too critical of himself, but he shook it off and started the music over so he could try again.

On the fifth run of the choreography, Donghyuck managed to keep on beat with the complicated moves, and successfully didn’t trip like he had during his third try of the night. His efforts were met with light applause from the doorway. Donghyuck whipped around and to see Mark standing in the doorway, leaning up against the frame as he slowly clapped.

“That was impressive, Donghyuck.” Mark complimented, but there wasn’t a ghost of a smile on his lips. Instead they were sealed into a tight line, making Donghyuck shift on his feet uncomfortably.

“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

“Huge.” Mark pushed himself off of the doorframe and collected the sweatshirt that the younger had cast aside earlier.

“And Taeyong’s mad?” Donghyuck took the sweatshirt and pulled it on over himself before grabbing his phone and following Mark closely out of the room.

“Very.” Mark walked far enough in front of Donghyuck so they weren’t touching, but close enough that he could still shield him.

Donghyuck winced. “How’d you find me?”

“It wasn’t like it was particularly _difficult_.” Mark pointed out before holding the door open for Donghyuck. “Taeyong, Jaehyun and I all returned to your residence to finish up the last of the work, but there were some rather explicit noises coming from upstairs, so when it was discovered that three of my co-workers and most trusted friends had allowed this to happen, they were surprisingly compliant to our queries of where you had disappeared off to. 

“Please tell me they weren’t—”

“No, no. Trust me, if I’d walked in on the three of them having sex, I most likely would have gone blind.” Mark reassured Donghyuck, leading the way to the lobby of the studio. “However, I’m reasonably sure that between the scathing looks your brother was sending them and my questions, the mood was sufficiently ruined.”

Donghyuck snorted ungracefully. “I’ll bet.”

“Let’s go.” Mark said, starting out the main doors back into the night, but paused and turned back when Donghyuck hadn’t made a move to follow.

“But _Mark_ ,” Donghyuck scrunched up his nose in distaste at how whiny his voice sounded. “I’m literally going to die if I stay cooped up in there any longer, and I was only home for a couple of hours!”

“But you _literally might die_ if you aren’t in a safe place, Donghyuck.” Mark sighed. “We can’t control where the Jinsil is, but if we can’t control where you are either, that’s just too many variables. We can’t take that risk.”

Donghyuck felt himself pout, and tried not to smile when Mark’s eyes visibly softened, his shoulders slumping from their usual statuesque posture.

“Let’s get you home, and we can talk details in the morning. Negotiations might be open if you don’t try and escape again.” Mark relented.

“Deal!” Donghyuck perked up, rushing over to Mark to plant a kiss on his cheek before skipping out the door.

Mark froze for a split second before realizing that Donghyuck was already halfway to the car. There was a half smile on his face he trailed behind the younger, opening the passenger door of the Tesla for him, leaving no room for another time-consuming repeat of earlier when Mark was supposed to be mad at Donghyuck.

Donghyuck complied with what Mark wanted, slipping inside the car and curling up on the seat right away, turning on the seat warmer as if he wasn’t already hot enough from dancing.

Mark closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side of the car, pulling out his phone to type something—most likely a text—before starting the engine and pulling away.

“Who were you texting?”

“Taeyong.”

“Oh,” Donghyuck grimaced a little bit, remembering that he would have to face his brother’s wrath when they got back.

“I told him to go easy on you.” Mark commented, reaching over to squeeze Donghyuck’s knee reassuringly before letting it rest there.

“I don’t know if he’ll listen to you.” Donghyuck muttered, playing with the hem of his sweatshirt before resting both of his hands over Mark’s, playing with his fingers in attempt to calm himself down.

There was a beat of silence before the reply came: “You did.” Mark didn’t look over at Donghyuck, but rubbed tiny circles on the outside of his thigh in comfort. Donghyuck sighed, relaxing into the touch before Mark’s phone buzzed from the cup holder between them. “Can you get that?”

Donghyuck nodded, reaching for it and reading the notification. “It’s from Taeyong. It says that he’s going to bed before he gets grey hair from this.”

Mark snorted. “Because that’s definitely why he’s going to bed before we get back.”

“What?” Donghyuck frowned, looking across at Mark, who spared a glance at him in return before putting his eyes back on the road.

“Taeyong and Jaehyun were the only other two home, and there’s more pent-up tension between them than there is between us.”

Donghyuck laughed lightly, the heaviness of the situation lifting off of his shoulders for a moment. “And _that’s_ saying something.”

Mark just nodded silently, turning a blind eye to all of the selfies Donghyuck was taking on his phone, but instead focusing on pulling up the right driveway that would lead to the Lee manor.

“At least Taeyong won’t beat me for another eight hours,” Donghyuck commented, checking the time on Mark’s phone to see that it was nearing two in the morning.

“Hyuckie,” Mark sighed, parking the car and pulling both of his hands into his own. “Your brother loves you so much and just wants the best for you. He’s doing all of this to protect you, even if he could maybe go about it in a better way.”

Donghyuck nodded, letting himself smile, _truly smile_ , for the first time since his birthday. Mark, the boy who had caused more trouble for Donghyuck within the past week than anyone had ever caused, was quickly becoming Donghyuck’s sole reason to smile, and frankly, it scared him.

Having this almost complete stranger waltz into his life and completely turn it upside down wasn’t exactly something that had been in Donghyuck’s plans, but he wasn’t going to argue because of the little void left by the death of his parents that Mark’s presence seemed to fill.

There was a tap on the his window, and Donghyuck whipped his head around to see Mark. He turned a little red, not realizing just how deep in his thoughts he had gone as Mark opened the door to let him out.

“Go ahead, I’ll meet you inside.” Mark gave Donghyuck a little nudge toward the front walkway. “I have to grab some things.” He explained after he was met with a confused look.

“Okay?”

“Go straight in and don’t run away again.” Mark pulled Donghyuck in to plant a quick kiss on his hairline before giving him a little harder push in the direction of the front door. Donghyuck nearly tripped over himself as he ran up the front stoop and through the front door, barely remembering he had to unlock it before he could open it.

He was greeted with the sight of three unamused security guards and three bodies piled up on the couch in the living room. Having the decency to look sheepish as he sidled past the guards and into the living room to see his best friend.

That plan didn’t work too well when he found Jaemin buried under Jeno, Renjun, and about five blankets that Donghyuck was sure were Taeyong’s doing because only Taeyong and he knew how cold the living room can get at night.

The sound of a door gently closing behind him and hushed voices alerted Donghyuck of Mark’s entrance into the house. When he turned around, Mark was dismissing the three guards, who looked a little skeptical of a boy who wasn’t much older than the one they were supposed to be protecting telling them to go home for the night.

It was only when Mark finally pulled out his badge to show who he was that the guards took their leave, filing out the front door and into the night. Mark locked the door behind them and breathed out a sigh of relief, turning his gaze back to Donghyuck.

“Time for _you_ to sleep.” His voice left no room for argument, but Donghyuck wasn’t about to give up that easily.

“I’m still not tired.” He crossed his arms, and pouted. Mark rolled his eyes, setting a bundle of things that Donghyuck hadn’t noticed him holding a second ago on the banister of the main staircase.

“Well I am.” Mark sighed, leaning against the railing, mimicking Donghyuck’s stance.

“What if we watch a movie?” Donghyuck suggested, tilting his head slightly.

“Depends on the movie.” Mark looked back at him, his expression mirroring the same curiosity that Donghyuck’s eyes held.

Donghyuck paused for a moment, considering his options, before clapping his hands together in excitement. “Have you ever seen Aladdin?”

“Can’t say I have, no.” He shrugged, indifferent to Donghyuck’s gasp.

“Well that’s going to change in five minutes.” Donghyuck grinned, grabbing Mark’s elbow and dragging him up the stairs and into a cozy room with a TV on one wall, a couch facing it on the opposing side, and a billiard table tucked away in the corner, a half-finished game still lying atop it. Donghyuck finally looked back at Mark to see apprehension written on his face. “We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

Mark just laughed, sitting down on the couch. “Honestly, if this is what keeps you from sneaking out, I’m all for it.”

Donghyuck frowned. “All of my modes of transportation are literally _gone_. My car is still at NCT and my bike is sitting in the back of the lobby of the dance studio.”

“That will keep you from escaping again, I suppose.” Mark smiled and tugged Donghyuck down next to him on the couch, letting the younger set up the movie. “Is this going to be any good?”

Donghyuck gasped, sitting up straight. “What do you _mean_ ‘is this going to be any good’? This is a cinematic _masterpiece_!” He whacked Mark’s shoulder, pouting.

“Hey, hey, I’m sorry,” Mark pulled Donghyuck back towards him by the waist. “I had to ask, though.” Donghyuck shushed him in response as the movie began. 

The movie went by quicker than expected, Donghyuck singing his way through every song that he could remember, and Mark seemed equally as interested since every time Donghyuck shot a glance over, he was completely engrossed in the story, and had seemed especially fond of Abu and the Genie.

“What did you think?” Donghyuck pressed the moment the movie ended, tearing his gaze away from the screen.

Mark shrugged. “Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to the movie.” Donghyuck was about to point out that he very much _was_ , but Mark leaned in close enough so Donghyuck could count his eyelashes, effectively silencing him. “I was too busy looking at a different masterpiece.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes at the blatant lie, but brought his hands up to cup Mark’s cheeks so he could kiss him anyway. It was lazy and tired, more tongue than anything else, but neither of them were complaining. There was nothing too rushed and heated about it, like things had seemed earlier, and although the kiss itself was less intense, none of the emotions passing between the two were subdued. Mark allowed Donghyuck’s hands to roam his body before setting on his chest, his nails digging into the fabric every time Mark nibbled on his lower lip.

Mark was the one to pull back in the end, struggling to blink his eyes open. “We should get some sleep, Hyuck.” He yawned, leaning his head back on the couch.

Donghyuck frowned. “I didn’t mean to keep you up,” He climbed off the couch, running a hand through his hair, glancing anywhere in the room but at Mark. “I’m sorry.”

Mark was quick to jump up, gently grasping the bottom of Donghyuck’s chin so he had to look at him. “Don’t be sorry, it was my choice.” Mark delivered a toe-curlingly sweet kiss on Donghyuck in reassurance. “But let’s get you to your room, okay?”

Donghyuck nodded, taking Mark’s hand in his, leading him out of the room, down the hallway, and to the door of his own bedroom. He opened the door and was met by a rush of cool air, and it took him a moment to realize that his window was still slightly open.

He shivered and rushed over to the window, cranking it the rest of the way shut and locking it, but it did nothing to dissipate the rest of the cold that still lingered within the room.

Donghyuck turned back around to see Mark walking in the room with the same bundle of things that he had set on the banister of the staircase earlier, but decided not to ask how exactly Mark had gone to get them so fast, but instead asking, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

Mark smiled tiredly, nodding. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“No!” Donghyuck crossed his arms. “I’m just cold.” Mark simply raised an eyebrow, but pulled apart the little bundle of things to reveal a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

“Whatever you say.” Mark turned towards the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.” With those words, he disappeared into Donghyuck’s bathroom, leaving the boy to get changed into his own pajamas.

Donghyuck took a moment to mentally thank whoever had cleaned up his room after Jaemin’s fiasco of a plan before actually getting ready. He exchanged his sweatshirt for a t-shirt and his joggers for flannel sweatpants before sliding into his bed in hopes to get warm.

Mark emerged from the bathroom not a moment later, having donned grey sweatpants and a faded red Stanford sweatshirt, placing his folded up suit on the edge of Donghyuck’s desk.

“Did you go to Stanford?” Donghyuck’s voice came out small and muffled from under the blankets. Mark simply hummed an affirmative response before slipping under the covers of the bed, wrapping his arms around Donghyuck.

“I hope Taeyong is paying me overtime for this.” Mark breathed into his hair, shifting them around so Mark was spooning him.

“I think my wonderful presence is payment enough, sporty.” Donghyuck gently whispered back, making Mark’s chest rumble with a tired chuckle. Mark pressed a kiss onto Donghyuck’s head, telling him that he was very much right.

Mark managed to murmur out a quiet “Goodnight, Donghyuck” before his breathing evened out and Donghyuck felt the body behind his slowly bleed out the tensions he didn’t even know it had. 

Donghyuck didn’t know how much longer he stayed awake in Mark’s arms, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time until he felt the beginnings of sleep tug at his eyelids at long last. At some point, he managed to drift off as a mostly unconscious Mark pulled him closer to his chest, an arm looped around his waist and a nose buried in his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here's the thing: i kind of hate this chapter and i struggled to write it for quite a while.  
> it's just a filler chapter before i get to some more exciting things, so i needed it because of the time sequencing and whatnot, but sdkfhsldkjfh i hate writing filler chapters with my entire existence  
> it took me forever because i couldn't decide on how i wanted to do it, and i ended up rewriting the outline twice, writing the chapter, deciding that i hated it, rewriting the outline three more times, and finally deciding on this as how i wanted to proceed  
> i'm still i guess not completely satisfied with it, but i PROMISE things will pick up next chapter
> 
> ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE:  
> every single one of your comments and messages makes me so freaking happy and give me more motivation to write  
> just a few days before i posted this, i had only been about halfway done with it until i got this amazing comment from a reader and it literally gave me the motivation to finish this chapter and i don't think it would have been done for another week or so without them  
> i want you all to know that every single kudos, comments, or messages on my other socials i get DO NOT GO UNNOTICED AND UNAPPRECIATED I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND EVERYTHING YOU DO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME
> 
> on another side note:  
> schoolwork has kind of chilled out for now, and i'm hoping to get to write another chapter before christmas, but i'm also working on this little hyuck-centric christmas series that is twelve parts and i'll be posting on the twelve day leading up to christmas, so we'll see if i have enough time to get the next chapter out before then. i'm also making a little social media au on my twitter if you want to go check that out (it's also markhyuck), but i'm just kind of planning lots of exciting new things and i hope you guys all stick with me for their arrivals!!!!!
> 
> sorry for this super long a/n, but i love and appreciate all of you so much!! you're the best readers in the world!!!  
> <3


	10. I Love the Smell of Burnt Pancakes and Threats in the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck decides pancakes are great projectiles  
> Mark finds Donghyuck’s weakness  
> Ten makes a phone call  
> A meeting is planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this got posted a lot later than anticipated... sorry it took me so long!!!

It was the silence that woke Donghyuck the next morning. He had become so accustomed to rising with Taeyong’s alarm blaring from the other room that by the time he had rubbed his eyes and could think coherently, Donghyuck realized that it had never gone off.

Instead, he was nestled gently against Mark’s chest with the older’s arms wrapped around his his waist and Mark’s head resting gently next to Donghyuck’s face, the older breathing small puffs of hot air onto Donghyuck’s neck as he slept. 

Donghyuck turned his head gingerly so he could look at Mark, and it nearly took his breath away. Mark’s face was relaxed with sleep, all of the usual frowns and wrinkles that adorned it had smoothed out, leaving his expression soft and serene.

He brought up a hand to carefully brush Mark’s hair out of his face before planting a lingering kiss on his forehead. Donghyuck slowly untangled his limbs from Mark’s and extracted himself from the bed, successfully not waking the other up. Donghyuck took a moment to just see how much younger Mark looked when he was asleep, and although the dark circles under his eyes didn’t disappear, the weight of the world didn’t seem to be resting on his shoulders as he curled up in the bed with the loss of Donghyuck’s body heat.

Donghyuck smiled at him fondly, bending over to press a small kiss to Mark’s nose before he slipped out of the room to let Mark sleep a little longer. Donghyuck softly padded down the hallway to his brother’s room, a little concerned at why Taeyong’s alarm didn’t go off because it was completely out of the norm.

Taeyong must have still been sleeping in his room when Donghyuck approached the door though, because it was still closed and there wasn’t a single sound coming from inside that Donghyuck could make out other than the hum of the air conditioner. 

It was a Friday and Taeyong still had work, he was never one to skip work on a whim, so Donghyuck turned the handle and pushed the door open with the intention of waking his brother so he could get ready for work, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to be happening..

Donghyuck was greeted by the  _ lovely _ sight of Jaehyun’s soft sandy-blonde locks splayed out mere inches from Taeyong’s bright red ones, their bare legs tangled with the duvet spread out over the top of them, barely covering their midsections. 

Trying not to gag at the thought of his brother having a sex life, Donghyuck quietly eased his way out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him when he was back in the safety of the hallway. He was sure that neither of the men inside of the bedroom were in any shape for work that day anyway, so Donghyuck shrugged to himself and made his way down to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. 

Donghyuck was in the midst of mixing up the batter for his favorite pancakes when he heard heavy footsteps on the staircase. He flicked his gaze up for long enough to tell it was just Mark before he turned his attention back to the batter.

“G’mornin’,” Mark mumbled, wrapping his arms around Donghyuck’s waist so he could comfortably nuzzle into the crook of Donghyuck’s neck. 

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Donghyuck laughed, working around Mark’s grip so he could pour the batter on the griddle to cook. “How are you doing?”

Mark hummed instead of responding and started pressing light kisses along the expanse of skin on Donghyuck’s neck that his hoodie exposed. Donghyuck nearly flipped a pancake over his head when Mark gently sunk his teeth into the side of his neck.

“Hey!” Donghyuck swatted him away. “I’m trying to cook breakfast here, you oaf.”

Mark tried to pout, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Creative with the insults this morning, aren’t we?” He left Donghyuck alone in favor of setting the table, but he struggled because he didn’t know where anything was.

“Where are the plates again?” Mark asked after looping around the kitchen twice in search of them.

“In the same place you just tried to look for the cups.” Donghyuck was doing his best not to laugh, but given by the glare he received from Mark, he wasn’t doing that great of a job.

“So right above the utensil drawer?” Mark guessed, making his way over where he had just grabbed the forks from. 

“No, above the dishwasher. The pans are in the cabinet above the utensil drawer.”

Mark pulled a face, playfully groaning as he went to go get the plates, making Donghyuck laugh even harder as he tried to pour even circles of batter on the griddle. “I thought you said it was your job to know everything about everyone.” Donghyuck teased, putting down the bowl of batter.

“I know where you’re ticklish.” Mark threatened from across the kitchen where he had just retrieved the plates.

Donghyuck’s jaw dropped and he moved to cover his sides with his hands. “You do  _ not _ .”

Mark grinned, following the movement. “Well, I do now.”

Donghyuck held out the spatula threateningly at Mark as he advanced on Donghyuck, smiling wide. “That’s cheating!” Donghyuck whined accusingly.

“It wasn’t cheating. You gave yourself away.” Mark pointed out as he stepped closer, forcing Donghyuck to take a step back as to maintain the distance between them. 

Mark took another step forward and Donghyuck dropped the spatula on the counter and bolted. He ran around the island in the center of the kitchen until he was on the opposite side, where Mark had been, but when he glanced around to look for him, Donghyuck found himself pushed up against the island.

“Gotcha,” Mark leaned in, his hands ghosting carefully over Donghyuck’s waist. Donghyuck squeaked and struggled to get away, but Mark just placed his hands on Donghyuck’s hips to keep him back against the island. 

“You didn’t even give me a chance.” Donghyuck pouted, looking up at Mark. 

Mark just laughed, raising an eyebrow. “It’s cute how you think you could outrun me.”

“Oh, shut  _ up _ .” Donghyuck huffed before pulling Mark down to kiss him. Mark complied, letting Donghyuck weave his fingers into his messy morning hair and direct their lips together.

Donghyuck felt Mark smile against his lips as their bodies melted into each other. Donghyuck carefully placed his arms on either side of Mark’s neck, lacing his fingers together carelessly behind Mark’s head. 

The counter was digging into the small of Donghyuck’s back, but it didn’t seem to matter when Mark’s hands carefully made their way under Donghyuck’s hoodie, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles into the delicate skin on his waist. 

Donghyuck licked at the seam of Mark’s lips, asking for permission, but Mark just leaned back with an amused smile still prancing across his features. Donghyuck was less than a second away from complaining about his behavior before Mark ducked back in, this time his lips met the edge of Donghyuck’s jaw instead of his lips.

Any complaint Donghyuck had been about to voice caught in his throat along with his breath with the little nibbles and kisses and licks Mark was leaving in his wake all the way down the side of Donghyuck’s neck until he reached his clavicle.

Mark’s hands traveled up a bit father, hiking up Donghyuck’s sweatshirt around his wrists as his fingers pressed softly into Donghyuck’s sides. At the same time, he sucked a particularly harsh kiss in the hollow of his collarbone.

Donghyuck rose onto his tiptoes, grappling at Mark’s shoulders for purchase. The sensation was overwhelming and he was unable to stay still, but Mark’s hands pushed Donghyuck back down onto his heels as he let their lips meet again.

Donghyuck would have stayed there, pressed up against the counter and kissing Mark if it hadn’t been for the sizzling from the other side of the room. He pulled away with a gasp, whipping his head around.

“The pancakes!” Donghyuck ducked out of Mark’s grasp and dashed across the kitchen to flip the pancakes before they got burned too badly. 

“Sometimes I think you love food more than me.” Mark sighed, leaning forward over the part of the counter that Donghyuck’s back had been against mere seconds earlier.

Donghyuck stuck his tongue out at Mark. “I’m going to make you eat these ones as a punishment.”

Mark hummed, resting his chin in his hands as he cocked his head to the side. “I don’t mind. You taste better anyway.”

Donghyuck threw one of the burnt pancakes across the room to distract Mark from the blush crawling its way onto his cheeks. If Mark noticed the new pink hue to his features, he didn’t say anything.

Over the course of how long it took for Donghyuck to cook the rest of the pancakes, Mark finally managed to finish setting the table and to not distract Donghyuck so badly that he got another charred piece of food flung at him. 

They sat down next to each other and scarfed down all of pancakes in near silence, Mark’s hand gently placed on top of Donghyuck’s thigh, and Donghyuck’s own hand laying atop his. Breakfast was finished within ten minutes, and within fifteen, the dishes were put away in the dishwasher and Donghyuck was pulling Mark over to the couch in the living room.

Mark settled on the couch lengthwise, his head on the armrest, before he tugged Donghyuck down on top of him, letting the younger’s legs rest between his own so their chests were pressed together and their foreheads were just touching.

“Don’t you have to go to work?” Donghyuck asked, his voice soft as his breath fanned over Mark’s lips.

“No,” Mark shook his head. “Taeyong said my job is to watch you because I’m the only one you actually listen to.”

Donghyuck pushed himself off of Mark’s chest with an exaggerated huff at having to have an overseer, but it only made Mark laugh as Donghyuck sat himself upright so he was kneeling between Mark’s legs instead of laying on him.

“It’s true and you know it.” Mark teased. Donghyuck wrinkled his nose at the statement, but his expression softened when he saw the proud little smile adorning Mark’s face; he couldn’t do anything but melt back into him and press a kiss to his cheek. Then his nose. Then his jaw. Then the corner of Mark’s lips.

He finally pulled back, leaving Mark a little more pink in the face than before. “Sure, Sporty, whatever you say.”

There was a pause in the conversation as Donghyuck snuggled into Mark, worming his fingers under the hem of Mark’s sweatshirt because he was so warm. 

“So,” Mark started as Donghyuck rested his head on Mark’s shoulder. “Are we actually going to do anything today or are we just going to lay here? I’m not opposed to either, just curious.”

Donghyuck thought for a moment before responding. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“What was that thing you put in your pocket at the gala? I saw you bend down and pick something up right after the Jinsil left.”

Mark hummed. “Ah, that. Hold on.” He shifted so he could grab his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants. “I have a couple of photos of it because the object itself is back at my place.” He pulled up a photo on the screen and handed the phone to Donghyuck.

“It’s… a ring?”

The picture was of a silver ring that, given the ruler in the photo right next to it, would be too large to fit any one of Donghyuck’s fingers. It was scratched and rusted a bit, but none of those things could cover up the design on it. It was intricate, and it almost looked like an old fashioned crest of sorts.

“It fell off of J’s finger and I managed to scoop it up,” Mark said, absentmindedly thumbing over the scar on Donghyuck’s neck. “It looked familiar and I’ve been studying it to try and figure out where I’ve seen that logo before. I thought it might give us some insight into who this guy is exactly.”

Donghyuck hummed, squinting at the photo. “And you never answered my questions yesterday, you know. The ones I asked you before we went off to the meeting.”

Mark frowned, the finger that had been tracing the planes of Donghyuck’s neck faltered for a moment, but it resumed its movements when Mark gave up trying to recall what Donghyuck had asked. “What were your questions?”

“What happens next for Taeyong and the company?”

“We resume as planned, I suppose.” Mark shrugged. “Taeyong hasn’t indicated otherwise.”

“Oh.” Donghyuck eyed Mark as he handed the phone back. “Were there any recordings of what happened at the gala?”

Mark shook his head. “Not as far as we can tell. The security cameras around the building were the only things that got a glimpse of them, but they were knocked out. That’s why Hansol had to pull me away, actually. He was worried something was going happen because there was no surveillance.”

“So that’s why no one knew they were coming?” Donghyuck questioned, curling his hand around Mark’s waist, rubbing his fingers against the warm skin.

Mark nodded. “And why we have no idea where they went.”

“But we’re okay for now?” Donghyuck grabbed Mark’s hand, letting Mark rub his knuckles with his thumb comfortingly. 

Mark gave him a warm smile and a peck on the nose. “Yes we are.”

Donghyuck wrinkled his nose as Mark planted little kisses all over his face, but he always just missed his lips. By the time Mark was deliberately kissing at the very corner of his lips, Donghyuck had had enough. 

He pressed forward to catch Mark in a lazy kiss, their lips melting together. There wasn’t any hurry or rush as Mark languidly sucked on Donghyuck’s lower lip or tongue, painting the younger’s mouth with the sweet taste of the maple syrup that Mark had put on his pancakes.

Mark pulled back, grinning. “You taste like strawberries.” Donghyuck just rolled his eyes at Mark’s unnecessary comment about the flavor of syrup he had poured over his own pancakes as he dove back into Mark’s lips once again.

It wasn’t long before they were interrupted, although it wasn’t by Taeyong or Jaehyun like Donghyuck had been expecting. Instead, the disturbance arrived unceremoniously in the form of the shrill tone of Mark’s phone ringing.

Mark groaned, feeling around for his phone that he had placed on the floor when Donghyuck had finished looking at the ring. “Hello?”

“Mark, Mark! Is Hyuck there? Is he okay? Oh my god, Mark where is Donghyuck?” It was a frantic Ten on the line, stumbling over his words as anxiety poured into his words.

Mark sat up, tugging Donghyuck off of his lap as he stood up and put his phone on speaker. “Slow down, slow down.” Mark spoke calmly, but there was panic in his eyes. “Donghyuck is right here with me. What happened?”

There was a shaky inhale before Ten’s response finally came. “My studio was broken into last night.” Mark sucked in a breath and Donghyuck’s eyes went wide, but they both remained silent so Ten could continue.

“I came in this morning and the doors were off of their hinges and the glass was broken, so I checked the cameras, and tell Hyuck he isn’t slick,” Donghyuck snorted, but kept listening. “It was only minutes after you, Mark, left with Hyuck when six masked people broke in. They took Hyuck’s bike and trashed the place as if they were looking for someone, most likely Hyuck himself.”

Ten’s voice got quieter. “And they left a note on the wall. It’s supposed to look like blood, but I called Johnny first and he says that it’s probably just red paint but I’m not really—”

“Ten.” Mark spoke finally. “What does it say?”

“It says… it says… I can’t even say it I’ll text you a picture.” A moment after Ten hung up, Mark’s phone dinged with a text from Ten. Donghyuck shot up to his feet so he could peek over Mark’s shoulder to see his phone, and what he saw took the air right out of his lungs.

It was a slightly blurry shot, most likely due to Ten’s shaking hands, but it was clear enough for Donghyuck to recognize it as his favorite practice room that he had been in last night. Everything looked the same except for the red letters scrawled haphazardly on the mirror:

‘ _ LEE, A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH AWAITS YOU _ ’.

Donghyuck slowly sat back down on the couch, shaking. Mark shot him a concerned glance, but texted something back to Ten before he sunk back down into the sofa next to Donghyuck to tug him to his chest and wrap his arms around him in a hug.

“What did you tell Ten?” Donghyuck asked; his voice didn’t shake as much as he had expected.

“I told him to get to Johnny’s. As of right now, we’re in a state of emergency.” Mark murmured into Donghyuck’s hair before pressing his lips to the crown of his head. 

Donghyuck pulled back. “A  _ what _ ?”

“A state of emergency.” Mark restated, cocking his head to the side.

“You mean we weren’t  _ before _ ?” 

Mark visibly fought back an interesting mixture of an eye roll and an affectionate smile, but his expression changed when the reality of the situation seemed to hit him again. “This is the work of the Jinsil. There’s no other explanation.”

“I thought so too.” Donghyuck leaned back into Mark, letting the older’s warmth envelop him.

“I need to get Taeyong and Jaehyun down here.” Mark mused.

Donghyuck grimaced. “I walked in that room once this morning and I will not subject myself to that again.

Mark actually did roll his eyes that time. “I’ll go get them.” He stood up, leaving a soft kiss on Donghyuck’s cheek as he cupped his jaw. “I’ll be right back.”

True to his word, less than five minutes later, the three of them came stumbling down the stairs looking equally disheveled, and Mark a little paler than he had been when he left, although both Taeyong and Jaehyun were fully clothed in t-shirts and sweatpants by the time they came into view. Donghyuck swallowed back a laugh as Mark walked back over to the couch, rubbing the heel of his hands against his eyes.

“I need bleach.” He groaned, sinking down until his back was nearly horizontal on the couch.

“Tell us what’s happening first, bleach later.” Taeyong instructed, his voice rough. “Why has a state of emergency been called?”

“There’s been a second Jinsil appearance. Ten’s studio this time, and a message was left.” Mark pushed himself up off the couch and showed Taeyong the photo, Jaehyun peeking over his shoulder.

“Well,” Jaehyun breathed, stepping back. “I think that justifies the state of emergency.” He let out a nervous chuckle.

“We need to make a plan of action. I need to figure out what to do next after this.” Taeyong spoke almost to himself as he crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his biceps, pacing the length of the room in thought.

Jaehyun turned to Taeyong. “We need to call a meeting.”

Taeyong stopped his pacing to glare. “I  _ know _ we need to call a meeting—”

“No, we need to call  _ the _ meeting.” The look on Jaehyun’s face told Taeyong something that Donghyuck didn’t understand, but Mark seemed to catch on.

“How do we know if they’re going to be around?” Mark asked, chewing on his lip as he twisted his phone in his hands.

“It’s a state of emergency.” Taeyong ran his hands through his hair. “They have to be.”

“Wait, wait,” Donghyuck waved his hands, sufficiently lost in what was happening. “Who are ‘they’? What meeting? Can someone fill me in?” There wasn’t anything he could do to keep the exasperation from bleeding into his tone.

“We need to assemble the entire industry.  _ SVT _ and  _ BTS _ for sure, and  _ RV  _ or  _ EXO _ if they can make it since we don’t know where they are right now and haven’t been in direct contact with any of them for several weeks.” Mark explained carefully, furrowing his brow.

“But why do we need everyone?”

“Because if J can threaten us, he can get to them too. It’s a danger to all of us in the community.” Taeyong resumed his pacing as he spoke.

“Community? So all of the biggest companies in Korea are all gangs like you?”

Jaehyun shrugged helplessly. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Donghyuck let out a low whistle. “Damn, there’s still a lot I don’t know.”

“And we’re going to keep it that way until this has passed.” Taeyong pulled out his phone. “One thing at a time.”

There was silence for a moment as Taeyong scrolled through his phone before he brought his phone up to his ear. “Namjoon? Seungcheol? See if you can get ahold of Junmyeon and Seulgi... a state of emergency has commenced and we need to meet…”

“So what happens now?” Donghyuck leaned forward as Taeyong exited the room to continue talking on the phone.

Jaehyun wrung his hands. “We hope that we can meet today, I guess.”

Mark walked back to the couch and sat down beside Donghyuck again, drawing him into his side. “But for now,” He let Donghyuck rest his head on his shoulder. “We wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good news!!  
> the rest of this story is planned out, but it's still currently in the form of twenty-six pages worth of bullet points soooooo i still have quite a bit of work to do  
> we are officially over halfway through this story and i'm a little worried about what i'm going to do when i finish it...  
> but,,,, that's still a ways off, so for now, i have no other projects on my plate that are super pressing (other than school ofc) so this will be my primary focus until it's done!!  
> i hope you all have had an amazing start to your 2019!!


	11. A Cruise to the Bahamas Can Solve All of Your Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 43 people try and solve one problem   
> It kind of works   
> I apologize to anyone who isn’t a multi   
> Prayers for Donghyuck, please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rewrote this chapter four times to try and make it less confusing  
> i hope it worked

“It’s a miracle they all could get here today,” Mark commented absentmindedly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on Donghyuck’s knee. “We got extraordinarily lucky.”

Donghyuck watched the buildings whiz past in a blur as Mark pushed past the speed limit to get to  _ NCT _ headquarters downtown, trying to get his stomach to settle after the new things that they had found out that morning. The fact that the Jinsil were targeting him of all people was just settling in, and Donghyuck found the shock of the situation rendering him speechless. 

It had only been about a couple of hours since Ten had called Mark in a panic, but things with the entire company were already in chaos. The last two hours had been spent trying to contact all of  _ BTS _ ,  _ SVT _ , and  _ RV _ , all coming back with surprising amounts of success since all of the heads of the companies, as well as the other higher-ups, were all in Seoul.

“How many people are going to be there?” Donghyuck asked, running his fingers over Mark’s knuckles that were splayed across his leg.

Mark thought about it for a moment, drumming his fingertips on Donghyuck’s knee. “Well  _ RV _ is safe and out of the country, so they’ll only be joining us via video call,” He explained. “ _ EXO _ is out on an operation right now but they’re safely out of the Jinsil’s reach, or at least as far as we know. But  _ SVT _ and  _ BTS _ are supposed to be meeting us in the office in about five minutes.”

“So… sixteen people in  _ NCT _ , you, me, the thirteen in  _ SVT _ , and seven in  _ BTS _ ? That’s what? Thirty-eight people? Plus the five of  _ RV _ on the video call, which makes forty-three if everyone’s there.” Donghyuck named the groups, counting off the people with Mark’s fingers.

Mark nodded. “That sounds about right.”

“At least Hansol and Seungkwan will be there.” Donghyuck sighed.

“Ouch,” Mark exaggerated a gasp, turning into the parking garage, taking a mere second to flash his badge before the gate was opened for him to pull in. “What about me?”

Donghyuck waved his free hand in the air dismissively. “You’re irrelevant. They’re at least entertaining company.”

Mark squeezed Donghyuck’s thigh, making him yelp and wrench himself out of Mark’s grasp, scrambling out of the door of the Tesla as soon as Mark pulled to a stop. Donghyuck nearly fell into the car in the next slot, which he belatedly realized was his own car that he’d left at the parking garage so many days ago.

Donghyuck fished in the pockets of his jacket, the same one he had worn for his birthday dinner with Mark, and found the keys to his yellow Ferrari. He could at least take his  _ own _ damn car home that day when the meeting adjourned. 

He and Mark walked inside the lobby, the impressive building never failing to take Donghyuck’s breath away. Even though that was only his third time trying to take everything in, Donghyuck was no less than completely positive that the novelty of it would never wear off.

The ride up on the elevator was nearly silent, the quiet only broken once when Mark gripped Donghyuck’s hand and he sighed while squeezing back. His nerves were all over the place since he had no idea what to expect from something like this. Mark had told him that a state of emergency hadn’t been called in upwards of thirteen years, the last time it happened was the day that Donghyuck’s parents were killed and the previous leaders of the companies had come rushing.

“We’re in meeting room one.” Mark tugged Donghyuck out of his thoughts just before the elevator dinged open.

Donghyuck had to resist the urge to laugh. “I won’t walk in on Taeyong trying to strangle someone again there, will I?”

Mark snorted. “Unless it’s Jaemin, no.” There must have been a momentary flash of panic in Donghyuck’s eyes because Mark just squeezed his hand and amended his statement. “Taeyong loves Jaemin too much to ever hurt him. Honestly, it’s much more likely that Doyoung is strangling Taeyong.”

“As long as Jaehyun isn’t jealous.” Donghyuck muttered. Mark didn’t look affronted by the comment; his expression more amused than anything else. The relationship between Jaehyun and Taeyong apparently wasn’t much of a well-kept secret within the company.

The little smile that played across Mark’s lips fell away the moment he rested his fingers on the handle of the door to the room, his expression melting into an impassive mask. Mark’s thumb rubbing small circles into the back of Donghyuck’s hand was the only tell-tale sign that he had any emotions. 

There were thirty-six people waiting for Donghyuck and Mark when they entered the room, all seated around the giant meeting table. On the screen in the front of the room, five more faces joined their meeting.

To say Donghyuck was nervous about forty-one pairs of eyes on him would be an understatement, but Mark just squeezed Donghyuck’s hand again, gently leading him over to the two empty seats near the head of the table between Jaehyun and Jaemin. 

“You’re late, Mark.” Taeyong admonished, but Mark shook his head, letting go of Donghyuck as they took their seats.

“I’m precisely thirty seconds early.” Mark stated, folding his hands on the table in front of him. Donghyuck had to choke down a laugh at the look on his brother’s face.

“It doesn’t matter.” Choi Seungcheol, CEO of  _ SVT _ , Donghyuck remembered, spoke up. “That’s not what is important right now.”

“What’s important is that someone debriefs us on what exactly this state of emergency is about.” It took Donghyuck a moment to place the speaker as Kim Namjoon, CEO of  _ BTS _ . “It’s been thirteen years since a state of emergency and no one outside of  _ NCT _ knows why yet.”

“There has been a threat.” Taeyong started.

“But we agreed that what the Jinsil did at the gala didn’t classify a state of emergency.” Seungcheol pointed out, crossing his arms. 

“No, but this does.” Taeyong pressed a key on the computer that was on the table in front of him and there was the image of the practice room put up on the same screen that  _ RV _ was on. “This direct threat to one of our own was left not minutes after Donghyuck left the premises. The security camera footage shows us that there were six masked men, all wearing the same rings on their pinkies that the Jinsil were recorded wearing at the gala.”

“Organized group, multiple strikes, threat against a life,” Seulgi spoke from the monitor, her face pinched up with concern as she lists criteria, counting them off on her fingers. “That pretty much ticks all of the boxes.”

“Where did this happen?” Namjoon asked, leaning forward on his elbows, forearms flush with the surface of the table. 

“My dance studio.” Ten piped up from the other side of Taeyong. “They broke in last night six minutes after Donghyuck left with Mark, turning the whole place over before leaving that message on the mirror and then leaving.”

“And they haven’t been seen since?” Seungcheol jumped back in.

“No.” Ten shook his head, tucking himself into Johnny’s side. Donghyuck wished that he could help comfort Ten, but from where he was sitting, there was nothing more he could do than send him an encouraging look when they made eye contact.

“So the is the Jinsil something we should consider a threat to all of us or just to Donghyuck?” Hansol spoke up from Seungcheol’s right side, dressed in a sharp suit with one hand entwined with Seungkwan’s on the tabletop between them, and the other propping up his chin.

“As of right now, we know nothing of the Jinsil’s motives,” Taeyong’s voice was thoughtful, “So as much as they have only made direct strikes against one person, there’s no reason to say that they won’t act out against the rest of us too. It’s only reasonable to proceed as such.”

Everyone nodded at Taeyong’s words, murmuring words of agreement for a moment before Namjoon raised his hand again to quiet the room. 

“Do we have any ways to deal with this J character yet? Or do we at least have somewhere to start?” His words caused more mutterings for a moment as glances were thrown around, curious to see if anyone had an actual answer or not.

Donghyuck wasn’t sure it was a good sign when the corporate masterminds of the biggest four companies in the country were all murmuring unsuredly. He had figured that if anyone could fix the situation, it would be them, but now he wasn’t so confident.

“Does anyone have any starting plan on how to track this guy down?” The petite, stone-faced blond man on the other side of Seungcheol raised his voice slightly to be heard above the whispers.

“Sorry, Jihoon,” Mark spoke for the first time since the meeting began, startling Donghyuck. “There’s been no real connections between the attacks and nothing has been left behind.”

“The one consistency between the attacks has been Donghyuck himself.” The blond man, Jihoon, pointed out, leaning forward on his elbows.

“Is there any way we could use Donghyuck to lure—” Seungcheol mused aloud and Donghyuck felt Mark tense up beside him.

“Absolutely not.” Mark cut Seungcheol off, and by the looks of it, Hansol was about to do the same if Mark hadn’t done it first. “The point of this is to figure out how to keep all of us safe. We are not going to risk anyone. We can figure out another way.” Mark sounded like he was more trying to assure himself by the end of it, but his words hung in the air.

“So are we sure that there’s no more evidence left behind at either of the scenes?” Namjoon stepped in again.

“We did a preliminary sweep of the hall where the gala was held, but no one has examined the studio yet…” Taeyong responded, looking to Mark for confirmation in his statement and appearing relieved when Mark nodded.

“But there’s no more information we have on the Jinsil? We don’t know where their base is or what they’re after or who any of them really are.” Seungcheol tapped his fingers on the sleeve of his fitted suit jacket. “So how do we proceed?”

Donghyuck grabbed Mark’s hand under the edge of the table, gently running his fingers over Mark’s knuckles to calm him down. It wasn’t as if Donghyuck didn’t understand why Mark was agitated—it was his  _ job _ to know everything about everyone, and it made him feel useless when he didn’t—but Donghyuck needed Mark to be as level headed as possible in that meeting.

It wasn’t like Donghyuck could do anything either, but he was much more used to it; as much as it annoyed him to no end that he couldn’t step in and help, he knew just as well as everyone else in the room that there wasn’t much that he could do.

“As a summary,” Seulgi said after an uncomfortable pause. “We don’t know where J is and we don’t know how to track him… so how do we protect Donghyuck?”

“What do you suggest?” Hansol leaned back in his chair as he spoke. “House arrest? Prison? A cruise to the Bahamas? We have no idea how far the Jinsil’s reach is or how much power they hold.”

“Only one of those is ironic, but I’m not going to say which one.” Donghyuck heard Chenle whisper to Jisung a couple chairs down, making a couple of surrounding people who heard the comment snort in amusement.

“We have to find a way to monitor and protect Donghyuck without containing him,” Mark squeezed Donghyuck’s hand but kept his gaze out on the other people at the table. “Because we all know how well that went last time.”

“Easy solution. We give Donghyuck a bodyguard.” Jihoon threw out.

“Excuse me, but give me a  _ what _ ?” Donghyuck spluttered out.

“He’s just going to try and run away again.” Yeri, the youngest of the  _ RV _ crew and one of Donghyuck’s good friends, nudged her way onto the screen. “He told me about why he was at the dance studio in the first place, and a bodyguard limits his perception of freedom just as much as house arrest would.”

“So…” Chenle didn’t even bother whispering that time. “A cruise then?”

Doyoung whacked him on the back of the head for the comment, but it didn’t stop the little smile on his face that Donghyuck could spot from a couple seats away. The tension in the room eased a bit after that and everyone seemed to relax.

“He’s already plotting ways to get away from the bodyguard we put on him, I can tell.” Taeyong sighed, looking at Donghyuck. “There’s got to be something else.” Namjoon placed his hands on the table, lacing them together as he glanced between the Lee brothers.

“We have the facility and the staff to keep Donghyuck safe while giving him enough freedom to make sure he doesn’t feel too cooped up.” 

Donghyuck doubted it.

“Are you saying we don’t?” Taeyong’s eyes narrowed and Donghyuck knew that this wasn’t going somewhere pretty.

“I’m just saying that our facilities might be more optimal—” Namjoon tried to defend himself, but Seungkwan stepped in before it could get too far out of hand.

“Both of you shut up.” He stood, and Donghyuck had never been in more awe of a man being able to command the presence of a room. “We are  _ not _ fighting. I will  _ not _ tolerate you two bickering over who has the larger nest while an actual problem is at hand. Understood?”

Taeyong and Namjoon both nodded quietly, not tearing their eyes away from Seungkwan as matching blushes rose up on both of their cheeks.

“Chan? Any suggestions?” Seungkwan turned to another man, also from  _ SVT _ , at the table who had been silently observing the exchange until then, his eyes narrow and calculating. 

“Make Mark his bodyguard.” Chan didn’t bother phrasing it like a question because the moment he said it, everyone knew it was the best option. “He trained with me in hand-to-hand combat for years and is one of the best marksmen that I know. Having Mark with Donghyuck will keep him safe.”

“Great.” Yeri piped up. “So Mark sticks to Donghyuck like glue, everything is great, but we don’t know anything about the extent of the Jinsil’s personnel levels. What if just having Mark isn’t enough?”

The room considered the glaring hole in the plan for a moment, everyone’s hopes dashed for a fraction of a second before Hansol saved the day.

“We keep Mark pretty much on Donghyuck at all times, keep two others within a hundred-foot radius, and another four within a half mile radius.” Hansol spoke slowly as if formulating his plan as the words spilled from his lips. “Of us, I mean. People in this room.”

“Only the trained ones, of course.” Seungkwan amended, but Donghyuck had the feeling that every person in that meeting was much more lethal than they appeared and would honestly feel safe with just about any of them. Even with Jihoon or Chenle, who were both easily a head shorter than him, Donghyuck wouldn’t doubt their ability to rip an arm off of someone when they got that glint in their eye.

“So we station  _ NCT _ members to begin, and we rotate.” Taeyong decided aloud. “In the meantime,  _ SVT  _ and  _ BTS _ can go with our remaining members and search the gala hall and the studio for more evidence.”

“What can we do?” Seulgi asked leaning closer to the camera.

“Put all of your resources to good use. Figure out if anyone knows anything about these people. We’ll investigate every lead we get.” Taeyong nodded to himself. “And we’ll reconvene in two days with all of our findings for a second analysis.”

“We’ll see you then.” Seulgi agreed. “Stay safe, Donghyuck.” She said before closing out of the call, Yeri waving at Donghyuck in the background of the screen behind her four co-workers.

“I’ll take the a portion of us to go check out the studio if Seungcheol wants to lead the rest of you to the gala hall in search of overlooked evidence.” Namjoon suggested, standing. 

Everyone agreed and headed off in their separate ways until it was just Mark, Donghyuck, the Dreamies, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Hansol, and Seungkwan left in the room.

“I can take Mark and Donghyuck back to my parent’s restaurant for dinner. Some of you can come along, too, to keep the necessary personnel close to Donghyuck.”

“I need to head home. I’m honestly exhausted.” Renjun commented, and Donghyuck knew that both Jeno and Jaemin would follow him without hesitation.

“Minnie,” Donghyuck called before Jaemin could leave the room. “Drive my car back home, would ya?” He tossed the keys to his best friend who caught them, nodding with a grin and a promise not to total it before he slipped out of the room behind the others.

“Hypothetically,” Chenle began. “If we accompany Donghyuck to the restaurant, will we get free food?”

“I like this one already.” Hansol grinned. “Of course. You can have as much as you want on the house.”

Chenle and Jisung left the room with a promise to meet them at the restaurant, Jisung’s complaints about Chenle having more than enough money to buy whatever food he wanted and not needing free handouts carrying down the hallway. Chenle’s shrill retort of him being a bargain shopper made everyone left in the meeting room laugh.

“It would be nice to eat out again in a safe place.” Mark shrugged, standing with Donghyuck. “Are you all coming?” The question was directed at Taeyong and Jaehyun who exchanged a glance before nodding. Hansol clapped his hands, rubbing them together.

“Great! Let’s go!”

The ride over was short and uneventful other than Mark nearly running a red light after Donghyuck stretched over the gear shift to place a gentle, but unwarranted, kiss on his cheek, thanking him for being the cutest bodyguard a boy could ask for.

Donghyuck decided right then and there that flirting around Mark should be saved for when he’s not operating motor vehicles, and made sure not to do it again until they were safely seated down in the restaurant, this time inside the building instead of on the rooftop like last time.

The restaurant is reasonably busy, and Donghyuck occasionally caught sight of either Hansol or Seungkwan flitting to and fro, helping out Hansol’s parents with customers if they were needed.

Donghyuck couldn’t help himself but think that it sucked that he could lean across the table and kiss the little bit of whipped cream—from the cake they had just shared—off of Mark’s upper lip, but he opted to say something completely different.

“What are we going to do when we get back home?” Donghyuck asked, leaning back in his chair, satisfyingly full. Mark just raised an eyebrow.

“Keep looking at me like that,” He warned in a startlingly casual tone, leaning forward as he brought a napkin to his lips to wipe away the excess cream. “And see what happens.”

Donghyuck had never thought he would be the type to rush out of a restaurant, but life just had a way of bringing surprises around every corner. He nearly tugged Mark out of the building, rushing out a goodbye to Hansol and Seungkwan on their way, only stopping to tell Chenle, Jisung, Taeyong, and Jaehyun that they were headed back home.

Taeyong assured them that he’d have some people stationed at the house by the time they got home, but with one glance at their connected hands and slightly flushed faces, he reminded them to use protection.

He received a good whack on the back of the head from both Donghyuck and Jaehyun for that one. They were halfway home when an interesting thought occurred to Donghyuck and he voiced it to Mark.

“I don’t know when your birthday is.”

Mark hummed, nodding as he took a left with one hand, the other one occupied holding Donghyuck’s.

“I’m aware of that.”

“Tell me when it is!” Donghyuck pleaded, playing with Mark’s fingers.

“Would you throw me a party if I did?” Mark asked, glancing at Donghyuck who nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course!”

“Then I won’t tell you.” Mark told him sincerely. Donghyuck took his hand out of Mark’s to cross his arms over his chest and huff. Mark just laughed, squeezing Donghyuck’s thigh and letting his palm rest there.

“I won’t give you any kisses tonight if you don’t tell me.” Donghyuck tried to keep a threatening tone, but it came out of more of a whine than anything else. Mark clearly didn’t believe him, merely shaking his head and giving his thigh another playful squeeze before driving the rest of the way home in near silence.

It wasn’t until Donghyuck was nearly leaping out of the Tesla not seconds after Mark had parked it, deliberately swinging his hips as he walked away from Mark.

“You’re actually not going to kiss me if I don’t tell you when it is?” Mark called, his voice thin and reedy with disbelief.

“Yup!”

Donghyuck had nearly made it all the way inside the house before he heard Mark sigh so loud he could hear it from the front door.

“August second!” Mark finally broke and Donghyuck couldn’t keep the little grin from spreading across his face.

“What was that?” Donghyuck teased as he continued his way up to the front steps, knowing perfectly well what Mark had just said. 

“August second! That’s my birthday!” Mark was almost pleading as Donghyuck turned the doorknob. He turned around to see Mark standing just outside the driver’s side of the car, the door still open and him resting his chin in his hands on the roof of the car.

Donghyuck just winked at Mark, beckoning him to follow as he slipped inside the house. He heard the car door slam outside, and vaguely has time to register Lucas and Jungwoo making out on his living room couch before Mark caught up with him and dragged him upstairs by the wrist.

“Close the door behind you, lovebirds!” Doyoung’s voice echoed up the hallway after them, leaving Donghyuck to only guess at whether he meant them accidentally leaving the front door open or to close his bedroom door when they got inside.

Probably both.

Donghyuck obeyed shutting the door to his room the moment both him and Mark were all the way inside, not even given a moment to catch his breath before Mark pinned him there and his lips were on Donghyuck’s a second later.

The kiss was a mess, but a hot mess that Donghyuck greatly,  _ greatly _ enjoyed. He reveled in the feeling of Mark holding his hips against the door with near-bruising intensity as their lips clashed and their tongues fought.

Mark’s hands didn’t stay still, though, because all of a sudden they were tugging Donghyuck’s shirt off, discarding it onto the floor with Mark’s blazer and button-up not far behind. Donghyuck had a moment to catch his breath before Mark swooped back down to capture his lips again.

It was a little less intense that time, the initial adrenaline running off and they took the time to savor each other’s presence. Donghyuck’s fingers laced themselves carefully into Mark’s hair as he began to kiss down the side of his neck.

“Mark…” Donghyuck warned breathily when his teeth scraped lightly over his throat, wary of having any bruises that Taeyong, or god forbid the paparazzi, could spot on him later. Mark made a sound of disdain in the back of his throat, but transitioned from bites to soft butterfly kisses all the way down the column of his throat and back out across his collarbone.

Donghyuck untangled his hands from Mark’s hair to cup the older’s face and bring his lips back up to his own so they could share another kiss. 

“You’re tired.” Mark murmured against Donghyuck’s lips, swiping his thumbs under his eyes. Donghyuck sighed, leaning into the touch as he nodded slowly. “Let’s get you to bed, then.”

Donghyuck had expected Mark to gently lead him by the wrist and lay him down on the bed, but he hadn’t expected Mark to gather Donghyuck up in arms and cautiously carry him over there, depositing him softly on the duvet.

Mark left Donghyuck’s side for a mere moment to grab him some fresh pajamas to change into before disappearing into Donghyuck’s bathroom to change his own clothes. Mark reemerged when Donghyuck called him back in the room, wearing a soft sweatshirt and an even softer smile as he climbed into bed next to the younger.

“Hey, Mark?” Donghyuck asked as Mark wrapped his arms around Donghyuck’s middle, pulling their bodies flush together under the covers.

“What’s up?” Mark hummed, his lips brushing over Donghyuck’s nape.

“What are we?” Donghyuck’s voice must have gotten uncharacteristically quiet because Mark maneuvered himself over Donghyuck so they were facing each other.

“What brought this on?” Mark’s eyes searched Donghyuck’s in the darkness as he cupped Donghyuck’s chin with wary fingers. Donghyuck shrugged, snuggling himself back into Mark’s grasp.

“I just want the world to know that one of Korea’s top ten hottest men according to Vogue itself,” Donghyuck placed a careful kiss on Mark’s lips. “Is my boyfriend.” Mark smiled gently, brushing his lips against Donghyuck’s as he spoke. 

“We both know that I’m yours, and I think that’s enough for now.”

Donghyuck hummed, tucking his head under Mark’s chin and pressing a small kiss to his shoulder to hide his frown at the answer he had received. He hoped, that night, that sleep would consume him before his insecurities would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahaha i meant to get this posted by january 31st but,,,, as we can see that did NOT happen  
> i hope it being two days later than promised won't be that big of a deal  
> hmmmm next chapter is when things get a little crazy....  
> any predictions??  
> thank you all for sticking with this!!! i'm trying to get a better updating schedule but school's kind of insane  
> i can't wait to write more for you all!!!  
> <3


	12. Bad Donghyuck? More Like Bad Dracula!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin is fun  
> Mark is not (but he’s weak for Donghyuck)  
> It’s called _lip_ gloss not _neck_ gloss  
> Uh Oh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao check the most recent tag update and then proceed to read this chapter and then kill me i'm sorry

“Hey, Nana,” Donghyuck sighed, leaning his elbows on the cool countertop in the kitchen as he eyed his best friend from across the room, who was polishing off a bowl of cereal. “I’m glad you could make it over. I know you were with Jeno and Renjun but—”

“You’re more important, Hyuckie,” Jaemin pointed his spoon rather threateningly at Donghyuck, before moving to put his dishes in the sink. “I’ll always drop everything and come when you need me.”

Donghyuck sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, nodding and rubbing his eyes. He hadn’t slept particularly well the previous night because his mind was too busy, and he knew that he had to get some of his thoughts off of his chest before they suffocated him.

“Where’s Mark? Isn’t he supposed to be with you all the time?” Jaemin asked as he busied himself with cleaning his dishes, a habit which Donghyuck had always found amusing because Jaemin never washed his dishes at his own house, but went out of his way to clean them when he was at Donghyuck’s.

“He’s upstairs. He was still sleeping when I left the room and I didn’t want to wake him, but he might be up and showing by now given that it’s,” Donghyuck glanced at the clock on the microwave, “almost seven-thirty in the morning.”

“Speaking of it being seven-thirty,” Jaemin turned around to look at Donghyuck, his eyes narrowed. “Why are you awake? You have a policy to never get out of bed before eleven if you don’t have to.”

“Let’s just say I had to. Coffee?” Donghyuck offered, spinning around to grab the coffee pot from its stand because he already knew his best friend’s answer.

“Always. And what do you mean you ‘ _had to_ ’?” He asked, curious, as he watched Donghyuck pour two mugs full of coffee and slide one over across the counter to him.

“Can I talk to you about something? It’s, maybe not the most important thing in the world, but it’s bothering me.” Donghyuck didn’t usually speak nervously, but he could feel the hesitance creeping into his own voice as he twisted his fingers around the handle of his mug.

“Oh?” Jaemin quirked an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. “Of course.”

“I have a problem,” Donghyuck rushed out, “a boy problem.”

Jaemin snorted, earning a sharp look from across the counter.

“And I have two. What’s your point?”

“ _Nana_! I’m serious!” Donghyuck was dangerously close to whining, but he really didn’t need Jaemin to be so annoying this morning.

“So am I!” Jaemin pulled a face, but his eyes softened and Donghyuck knew that he’d listen.

“I asked Mark last night about what we were and, well, I don’t know, I suppose he wasn’t particularly eager to put a label on us when I suggested?” He clenched his fingers tighter around the mug until his knuckles turned white. “I just think that if he’s so willing to be with me and put himself at risk for me and kiss me, that maybe we should have a discussion about it instead of him just shutting the conversation down like it doesn’t matter.”

“Ah,” Jaemin hummed, urging Donghyuck to continue.

“It’s just frustrating because he’ll hold my hand in meetings under the table and kiss me in his car, but it’s as if he doesn’t even want the other members of _NCT_ to know what’s going on between us.” Donghyuck ran a hand through his hair, which was already a mess in the first place and the action most likely just made it worse. “I just want to know what’s going on inside his head as well as he knows what’s going on inside of mine. I want to know as much about him as he knows about me so maybe the situation could be more equal.”

“Insecurities are a real bitch when they’re actually valid, aren’t they?” Jaemin mused aloud as Donghyuck lifted his coffee mug to his lips so he could take a drink.

“Cheers to that.” Donghyuck knew that he was being more negative about the whole situation than he should have been, but he allowed himself a moment for self-pity before focusing on his best friend for a little bit instead of his own mess.

“You said something about having boy problems?” Donghyuck asked, but Jaemin just waved him off, taking another sip of coffee.

“It’s nothing.”

“That’s a lie, Jaemin, and we both know it. Now what’s going on between you three?”

Jaemin sighed in defeat, setting down his mug on the counter. Donghyuck knew that his best friend couldn’t keep a secret from him if his life depended on it, and that came in handy during times like this. Donghyuck knew Jaemin needed to talk about it with someone or he would continue with his unhealthy habit of keeping his emotions all bottled up like he usually did.

Donghyuck and Jaemin were very openly physically affectionate people, but they both struggled to open up the same way emotionally, and more often than not, found that confiding in each other was the best option because they both knew that the other would understand them better than anyone else, and that was what made their friendship click so fast as kids.

“We’re trying to make this work, you know, the three of us, but polyamory is hard.” Jaemin’s voice was so dejected that Donghyuck reached out across the counter to hold Jaemin’s hands in his own. “I feel left out a lot of the time because Jeno and Renjun were dating so long before I was ever in the picture, it feels like I can always just have my place filled by one of them.”

“Oh, Nana,” Donghyuck whispered, squeezing his hands.

“It’s frustrating because I’m trying to communicate to make this work but it doesn’t seem like they’re putting as much effort in as I am.”

“Think on the bright side,” Donghyuck said after a moment of silence, mustering up the best and most convincing smile that he could, “at least you guys are all boyfriends.”

The rueful smile that Jaemin gave Donghyuck back threw him off kilter, making him draw his hands back from where they had been wrapped around Jaemin’s.

“At least you feel wanted.” There was a bitterness in his tone that scared Donghyuck a little bit, but all he did was raise his mug across the counter.

“Touché.” Donghyuck and Jaemin knock their mugs together gently with a satisfying clink, and take sips of their rapidly cooling drinks in a small effort to forget their sorrows.

The kitchen was quiet for a moment, the only sounds in the house were of their soft breathing, the quiet snoring of Lucas and Jungwoo curled up on the couch in the next room, and water running in a sink upstairs, presumably meaning that Mark was finally up and about.

“So what are we doing today?” Jaemin asked, taking the last gulp of coffee from his mug before setting it down on the counter and resting his chin in his hands.

“Something to get my mind off of this.” Donghyuck shrugged, gesturing his mind to the house in respect of his situation.

“ _RV_ just opened up a new club downtown and—” Jaemin’s eyes lit up with the idea, but he got cut off by a voice behind Donghyuck in the entryway to the room.

“Absolutely not.”

Donghyuck whipped around to see Mark leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes narrowed at Jaemin. There was a towel draped around his shoulders because his hair was wet from the shower he must have just taken, and the grey sweatpants, slung low on Mark’s hips without a shirt to accompany them, did things for Donghyuck that they should definitely _not_ be doing any time before ten o’clock.

“Aww,” Jaemin whined, standing up to lean his back on the counter and exaggerate his pout with his hunched shoulders and crossed arms, “but it’s _RV_! It’s literally the safest place we could go to hang out for the evening besides staying cooped up in here!”

Donghyuck even tried his hand at pouting, and although Mark’s eyes softened a bit, he held steady in his determination to not let them go. 

“There’s no way I’m letting you go clubbing.”

 

* * *

  


“I can’t believe I’m letting you go clubbing,” Mark moved to rub a hand over his face later that evening, but Jaemin reached out to stop Mark from messing up his hair that was styled off of his forehead in a ruffled I-just-got-out-of-bed-but-still-look-better-than-you sort of vibe.

Donghyuck snorted and looked back out of the tinted window of the car, watching the setting sun flash by through the gaps in the skyscrapers as they drove through the city to get to _RV_ ’s newest club. He and Jaemin had spent the day convincing Mark to let them go out by bribing the rest of the Dreamies, along with Lucas and Jungwoo, with a round of drinks later if they promised to accompany them so Donghyuck would have enough, if not more than enough, members of _NCT_ around him at all times.

“The moment Donghyuck pouted, you knew you didn’t stand a chance,” Jaemin teased Mark, poking him in the shoulder.

“You have no proof,” Mark huffed, glancing at Jaemin warily as if he did have evidence against him. “And besides, I decided to let it happen when you called up Seulgi herself and she told me that security would be tightened at the club for your sake tonight. It had nothing to do with that.”

“Sure, Sporty,” Donghyuck laughed, turning back from the window to meet his eye, “whatever you say.”

As much as Donghyuck was all for the teasing of Mark, he couldn’t bring himself to keep it up for too long because of how _good_ Mark looked tonight. Before now, Donghyuck had only ever seen Mark in two different types of clothing: a full suit or sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

Seeing him with ripped skinny jeans and a half unbuttoned dress shirt, along with a _harness_ that Jaemin had wrangled on him somehow, all made Donghyuck want to forget the idea of clubbing and just make out with him in the car all night.

However, Donghyuck and Jaemin had spent so long getting Donghyuck styled up for tonight that it would have been an absolute waste if the ripped skinny jeans that Donghyuck allowed himself to break out on fun occasions went unappreciated for another indeterminate length of time until he and Jaemin went to a party again.

Jaemin had even insisted on doing Donghyuck’s makeup, using glittery eyeshadow and dramatic liner to bring out his eyes while a bit of highlight and shimmering lip gloss were applied in their respective places on his face.

Donghyuck had been firmly against the lip gloss at first, admittedly, but when Mark had snuck into the room while Donghyuck was getting ready to steal a quick kiss, commenting on how he liked the strawberry flavor, Donghyuck made sure to swipe on an extra coat and slip the tube into his pocket for reapplications throughout the night.

By the time the car pulled up to stop outside of _RV_ ’s latest addition to their chain of clubs—all of which were a front for a drug exchange that they ran—called _Bad Dracula_ , standing proud and tall in all of it’s neon-lighted glory, the sun had mostly set and there was a line out the front door that went all the way down the block and turned the corner. 

There was a moment where Donghyuck was afraid that they wouldn’t be able to get in, but he spotted Yeri at the door, waving them over as all nine of them stepped out of the limousine. Donghyuck had wanted to travel with a bit more subtlety, but Jaemin had insisted that this was the best way to get to the club as a whole group.

Donghyuck knew perfectly well that Jaemin probably has something along the lines of ‘make out with two cute boys in the back of a limo’ on his bucket list and that this was a blatant excuse to make it happen, but he turned a blind eye to it in favor of playing footsie with Chenle while sending teasing winks to Mark every time he was caught staring.

“Hyuckie! Minnie!” Yeri called, opening her arms for Donghyuck and Jaemin to run into, holding them tight when they crashed into her at nearly full speed.

“I haven’t seen you in _ages_ , Yeri,” Donghyuck whined, holding her out at arm’s length to take a better look at her. “I see the women of _RV_ have been treating you well.”

“Well,” Yeri’s cheeks flushed a color similar to Taeyong’s hair, “the company is doing well and I’ve been doing a lot of work, so they tend to dote upon me a little more than they should.”

“So the five of you are working out?” Jaemin squealed excitedly, and Yeri had just enough time to flash them a wide grin and nod before he and Donghyuck were crushing her back in a hug, proud that their friend had finally talked things out with her co-workers so there wasn’t so much stifling sexual tension in the room whenever they came to visit.

“We’re so proud, Yer,” Donghyuck tells her, beaming, “we couldn’t be happier for you.”

“And I couldn’t be happier for _you_!” Yeri smiled knowingly, sending a pointed look behind Donghyuck to Mark, but didn’t press it any further before turning on her heel to lead the group inside. The bouncer at the door to the club merely nodded as she passed by, letting the other nine boys follow her like a line of ducklings following their mother.

 _Bad Dracula_ was different from _RV_ ’s other clubs; Donghyuck would know since he’d been to all of them at least twice. Unlike _Russian Roulette_ or _Day 1_ , _Bad Dracula_ had a clear teenager-oriented vibe. The other clubs tended to have more mature, elegant decorations like an upscale ballroom turned EDM show, but this was different.

It had a distinct American 1980’s vibe to it with the checkered floor tiles and the old-fashioned booths that lined the walls, along with the countless black-and-white photos of people dancing on every wall that Donghyuck could see. He was about to turn to Yeri and ask her if she had taken any of the pictures, but someone tugged him away before he could tap her shoulder to ask over the thumping beat of the music.

“C’mon Hyuckie,” Jaemin whined, pulling him away from Yeri and towards the dance floor in the middle of the club, complete with a colorfully-lit dance floor and a live DJ up at the booth. “Let’s go dance!”

Donghyuck let himself be dragged onto the dance floor, and just as they got there, the upbeat summer-y music transitioned into something a lot more sultry with a dirty bass beat that pulsed under their feet and vibrated through Donghyuck’s chest.

A quick glance around him told Donghyuck that Jeno and Chenle had claimed a booth not too far off to the left of the dance floor, but everyone else had joined the masses on the light-up floor, throwing their hands up in the air to move along to the music.

Donghyuck blinked and he found Jaemin grinning in front of him, putting his hands on Donghyuck’s hips to move them closer together. Donghyuck laughed, looping his arms around Jaemin’s neck and swaying his body in time with the beat, letting him forget everything.

“I think someone is jealous of me right now,” Jaemin still had to yell for the sound to reach Donghyuck’s ears even though they were so close. “He’s directly to your left.”

Donghyuck looked around as subtly as he could, catching sight of Mark out of the corner of his eye, swaying half-heartedly along to the music with an equally sulky looking Renjun at his side.

“I think there’s someone over there who wants you too, Nana,” Donghyuck grinned up at Jaemin. “I’m willing to bet he thinks you’re irreplaceable.” Jaemin leaned in close to Donghyuck, whispering in his ear.

“Let’s give them something to be jealous of then, huh, babe?” Jaemin backed up in time to see Donghyuck throw his head back in laughter, a smile overtaking his face as Jaemin pulled him even closer and their dancing got progressively less and less innocent.

Donghyuck had joined his first dance class at Ten’s studio with Jaemin, and they’d stayed together in the classes, moving up levels as they got better and better together. When they were fourteen, Jaemin had to quit because he didn’t have the time for it and his passion for dancing was never quite paralleled with Donghyuck’s, but that didn’t mean that he had lost his skill.

In fact, Donghyuck would beg the opposite: that in Jaemin’s years off of the sport, he had become more free in his movements, allowing more of his personality to shine through his movements instead of having his mind be so focused on the choreographed steps and perfect posture.

They were best friends, nothing more, nothing less, but with the way their bodies were grinding against each other in the middle of the dance floor right then, any onlooker could have easily mistaken them for lovers.

Jaemin wasn’t exactly helping that when he planted the lightest of kisses on Donghyuck’s neck when his head was flung back, making the redhead giggle but press further into his touch. After all, they had an audience to impress.

Then, Donghyuck blinked, and Jaemin was being pulled away from him by a somewhat fuming Renjun, and Jaemin’s place was quickly filled by a less than happy Mark. His brow was creased and his lips were molded into a small pout.

Donghyuck watched Renjun tug Jaemin closer to the middle of the dance floor where they picked up dancing right where Jaemin and Donghyuck had left off. Donghyuck let out a little laugh at the sight before grabbing Mark’s arm and wrenched him closer, close enough where their breaths were mingling, their noses just barely brushing.

“You certainly looked like you were having fun,” Mark commented with a nonchalant tone, but Donghyuck could see it in his eyes that he wasn’t particularly happy about what he had just witnessed.

“We’re best friends, Mark, you know that,” Donghyuck breathed out a laugh. “And besides, I’d much rather be dancing with you anyway.”

Mark hummed, pressing his lips ever-so-gently to the tip of Donghyuck’s nose before carefully placing his hands on his hips to move them together. Donghyuck scrunched up his face, winding his arms around Mark’s neck.

“You missed,” his voice sounded bitter to his own ears, but he counted it as a win when Mark laughed lightly, the previously visible tension in his shoulders easing away.

“Let me try again then.” With no more playing around or dodging, Mark brought his lips down onto Donghyuck’s in the middle of _Bad Dracula_ ’s dance floor.

Donghyuck had enough mental capacity to be thankful for _RV_ ’s no photography rule in their clubs before even that space of his mind was only occupied with Mark, Mark, _Mark_.

The song had switched to a provocative rap track that Donghyuck was sure he had heard on the radio before, and by the looks of it, Mark had too. He was almost whispering the words into Donghyuck’s mouth as their bodies moved together to the beat.

Mark danced a lot better than Donghyuck honestly thought he would; the way Mark was still in complete control of their movements while kissing like there was no tomorrow took Donghyuck’s breath away, but he figured that if he suffocated while kissing Mark, that wasn’t an all too terrible way to go out.

It made Donghyuck want to laugh, how he and Mark were being more daring with their movements there in the club versus how quickly they had stopped when things seemed to be going too far just days prior in Mark’s Tesla.

‘Going too far’ wasn’t in either of their vocabularies at that moment, and neither of them particularly seemed to mind as Mark licked into Donghyuck’s mouth and curled his fingers just a little bit tighter around his hips.

It was stiflingly hot, but Donghyuck wasn’t about to let the temperature in the room stop him. He tangled his fingers in Mark’s hair—Jaemin would probably kill Donghyuck later for messing up the styling but it didn’t matter at that moment—and tugged just enough that Mark let out a small whine, allowing Donghyuck to take control of the kiss.

“Hyuck,” Mark panted as Donghyuck sucked on his bottom lip, turning it a beautiful cherry red to match the lights of the club. There was a bit of push-and-pull with who was dominating the kiss for a moment before Donghyuck drew back for a fraction of a second, diving right back into Mark with renewed vigor that nearly caused them to stumble.

“I think we need to slow down a bit,” Mark tried to reason, but Donghyuck shook his head, planting rows of light kisses along his jaw before eagerly sucking a bruise into the tender, pale skin right below Mark’s ear, leaving a bit of residual lipgloss in his wake. Donghyuck rocked back on his heels for a moment to admire the blossoming purple stain, but Mark must have decided that equal treatment was necessary because he ducked into the side of Donghyuck’s neck with equal enthusiasm.

“Oh,” Donghyuck softly exhaled as he felt Mark nip at the skin before sucking it between his teeth to create a matching mark on both of them. When Mark pulled away, Donghyuck felt the telltale stickiness of lipgloss on his skin, and vaguely realized that Mark probably had just as much on his lips as Donghyuck did at this point.

“It’s a very good thing Taeyong isn’t here,” Mark laughed, pecking Donghyuck on the lips as the song changed, “he’d kill me if he ever saw this.”

“Don’t mention my older brother when we’re making out,” Donghyuck pulled a face, but couldn’t keep the smile from tugging at the corners of his lips anyway. “It ruins the mood.”

“Duly noted.” Mark stepped back, most likely to take in the slightly disheveled sight of Donghyuck, making the younger blush acutely under his gaze. “I’m going to go grab us something to drink. You look a little out of breath.”

“Only if we get to dance more later,” Donghyuck bartered, and Mark nodded in assent, slotting their lips together for a period of time that was much too short for his taste before walking off the dance floor in the direction of what Donghyuck assumed was the bar.

He took a moment to look at Mark’s retreating back before he slipped out of the crowded dance floor and stumbled over the booth that Jeno had claimed for them earlier, sliding to sit down between him and Chenle, who was halfway perched on Jisung’s lap.

“I’m actually the tallest in my class!” Chenle was having a somewhat heated discussion with Jisung, but the younger didn’t seem to be taking it all that seriously.

“What class?” Jisung snorted, flashing him a lazy grin. “Fifth grade?”

Chenle made an abhorred noise in protest, starting to say something about how he was talking about his college computer science course, but Jisung merely hushed him, wrapping his long arms around Chenle’s waist and tugging the smaller up onto his lap.

“That’s mildly disgusting,” Jeno mused from the other side of Donghyuck, but there was a smile on his face that told him Jeno was a lot more happy for the young couple than his words let on.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and averted his gaze from the company at the table, instead scanning the club to figure out where Mark had gone. It took him a moment to spot the young CFO, but there he was, standing by the bar in all of his open-shirt-and-harnessed glory, talking with Jungwoo and Lucas.

They were having a discussion while Mark picked up some glasses of liquid from the bartender. It was just water most likely, because even though Donghyuck was of age now, there was no way that Mark was going to give him alcohol, and it was more likely that Jisung or Chenle would figure out a way to steal any alcoholic drinks at the table if Mark were to bring some over.

Their heads were bent together in a huddle of sorts, and Donghyuck realized that it must have been some sort of private conversation, so he did his best to divert his attention to something else. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how he looked at it, there was a perfect distraction arriving at the table just in time in the form of Jeno’s two, slightly out of breath, boyfriends.

“Jeno, baby,” Jaemin cooed. Donghyuck had to physically stop himself from gagging. “Come dance with us!”

“I think I’m good here, actually.” Jeno, the poor boy, tried to escape the clutches of his boyfriends, but failed the moment they started pressing kisses on his blushing cheeks. Donghyuck sunk down in his seat a little bit, acutely aware of the fact that he was sitting alone, sandwiched between two groups of people making out while the person he wanted to make out with was halfway across the club, still talking with his coworkers.

Just to Donghyuck’s luck, he looked back over at the trio just in time to see Lucas and Jungwoo leave kisses on Mark’s cheeks, leaving the youngest of them floundering and almost dropping the waters he had in his hands. Donghyuck frowned at the way Mark blushed a deep red at the touches, but didn’t want to assume anything because he knew how flirty Jungwoo could be.

Yet, it was also the knowledge of how flirty Jungwoo could be was what worried Donghyuck so much. What if Mark didn’t want to go public with Donghyuck because of who Donghyuck was? What if Mark was ashamed of him and wanted to keep him hidden? What if he was really more comfortable with a relationship not unlike Jungwoo and Lucas’s where they didn’t have to keep anything hidden?

It was just then that Lucas bent his head down to brush his lips against Mark’s ear and whisper something that made Mark get flustered in a way Donghyuck had never seen Mark flustered before.

Try as he might to not suspect anything of it, Mark looked up to meet Donghyuck’s eyes from across the dance floor with an expression that looked a little too much like guilt, and Donghyuck’s insecurities reared their ugly heads, biting and tearing away at the last bit of strength he had left in him to deal with the situation.

It was too stifling in the club all of a sudden; the air had gone stale and Donghyuck felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Less than a second later, Donghyuck found himself scrambling out of the booth before anyone can grab at his arm to stop him, ignoring the calls of his name from Jisung and Jaemin as he dashed back out through the entrance of the club, skipping by the bouncer with a quick smile as he ducked out of the door.

He disregarded every bone in his body calling out for him to go back inside where he could hear Mark out, because Donghyuck knew that he was being irrational about it, in favor of running around the side of the building and leaning against the cool brick wall of the club that made up one side of the alleyway.

The little alley was dark and the night air was cool and clean, leaving Donghyuck to feel like he could get oxygen into his lungs for the first time since stepping into _Bad Dracula_. He could still feel the pulsing beat of the music through the wall of the club, could feel it vibrating through his chest and adjusting his heart rate to match the pumping of the bass.

Donghyuck leaned his head back against the wall, tilting his head up to keep the tears from falling at the realization of what had just happened hit him in full force. It might have all just been a misunderstanding, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

His emotions were all over the place, but his mind was clear enough to hear a group of people walk past the alleyway, talking and laughing brightly. It snapped him back to the present, making him aware that he was completely alone and none of his bodyguards were anywhere near him.

Donghyuck pulled his phone out of his pocket with shaking hands, and unlocks it to thumb down his emergency contact list, scrolling to find Jaemin, but he paused over Mark’s name that was accompanied by two hearts and let the first tears roll down his cheeks.

He sniffled, flicking past it to find ‘My Love’, tapping on it to call Jaemin. Donghyuck hadn’t even put the phone up to his ear yet when someone stepped in front of him. 

“Hey, are you okay?” The voice was concerned, but the gender was indiscernible. It was just high enough that it wasn’t a usual man’s voice, but just low enough that he didn’t jump to it being a woman speaking either. Donghyuck looked up at the person to try and solve his little mystery but the shadows in the alley made it such that he couldn’t make out the features of the person’s face. He gave up trying to squint at the person, wiping his eyes of tears instead.

“No,” Donghyuck tried to keep his voice as level as possible, but it cracked anyway. The person sighed, hunching their shoulders a bit.

“Then I’m sorry about this,” They sounded so deeply apologetic that it threw Donghyuck off for just long enough that he couldn’t ask what they were so sorry about before there was a cloth over his mouth, and his wrists were pinned to his sides.

Donghyuck struggled to get free, feeling the phone slip from his hands as he tried to wiggle out of their iron grip. During the rather one-sided scuffle, he flung his head back too hard and it his the brick wall of _Bad Dracula_ with mind-numbing force. Donghyuck gasped finally, giving up holding his breath against the cloth, feeling his consciousness slip away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahaha please don't actually kill me  
> on a side note: I HAVE ANOTHER STORY!!!  
> it's about pirates and markhyuck and it's cute so!!! check it out if you'd like!!!  
> [Ocean Eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17655917)  
> 


	13. No, Isolationism Does Not Solve Your Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck is M.I.A.  
> Mark is panicked (and not in a good way)  
> Taeyong is mad  
> A bit of help from someone unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hA this took me an inordinately long amount of time sorryyyyyy  
> but! it's here now! and it's wild! and i hope to get the next chapter posted bEFORE the two month mark!

Four days.

It had been four days since Donghyuck disappeared, presumably taken by the Jinsil.

To say that Mark was frantic would be a grand understatement. He had barely slept, and he’d eaten even less. It was his _job_ to know everything about everyone, but he couldn’t find anything on Donghyuck’s whereabouts, let alone a scrap of information about the Jinsil itself. He had called in favors from all of his contacts, even the ones he couldn’t so easily afford to ask favors from, but everyone had turned up empty-handed.

This was tearing him apart by the seams and he didn’t know how to cope, especially with all of his co-workers seething in his general direction for inadvertently causing this whole issue. Lucas was Mark’s closest friend, and he had pushed both him and Jungwoo away, not having spoken to them since the club. Taeyong had nearly iced him out, meaning that most of the other bosses had followed suit and done the same. Even Chenle and Jisung couldn’t quite meet Mark’s eye, so after the first twelve hours, Mark had taken matters into his own hands.

Mark had isolated himself from most of the world, staying in his office at HQ for as long as he could, only having returned back to his penthouse once during those horrible four days. He had resolved to not rest until he had solved the problem he had caused, locking the door from the inside so he didn’t have to suffer through the disdainful glares of his friends.

Were they still his friends? Mark didn’t know anymore.

The words on the papers in front of Mark were starting to blur for the fifth time within the past two minutes and Mark had to force himself to snap awake. Digging his fingernails into his palms, he did his best to blink away the exhaustion that was threatening to overtake him.

Mark yawned, stretching his arms in front of him as he shook his head and took a deep breath. Shuffling the papers on his desk around—the reports from his contacts—he sighed and ran a hand through his hair in defeat. No one had found anything substantial, or even anything they could go off of as a starting point.

He was reasonably sure he might have just yelled in frustration if he hadn’t heard voices outside of his office door, seen shadows in the light under the door representing at least two pairs of feet, if not more.

“How long has he been in there?” The voice was soft, but very distinctly Johnny’s.

“Seventy-six hours, forty-three minutes and approximately nineteen, no, twenty seconds.” That was Jeno; Mark didn’t know whether to roll his eyes or laugh or hug the younger boy for his diligence.

“Only seventy-six hours?” Oh. Mark didn’t know that Ten was there as well. Besides Taeyong, Ten was the closest with Donghyuck and probably hated him just as much as his brother.

“He left for about thirty minutes at one point to go back to his penthouse and change clothes, but he came back right after,” Jeno informed. “But other than that, he has been in his office since _Bad Dracula_ according to CCTV.” Little did Jeno know that Mark knew how to loop over the CCTV footage so it didn’t show his countless trips down to records and back, scavenging for any sort of lead at all.

At that moment Mark was very glad that his office was locked from the inside and that no one could use their own badge to swipe across the pad outside of his door to be let in. He didn’t need humiliation alongside their pre-established hatred.

“Are you trying to tell me the kid hasn’t eaten in four days?” Johnny sounded mad and it made Mark flinch even though his voice was filtered through the door. If soft-hearted Johnny was mad, Mark knew he really screwed up. “Has he even _slept_?”

There was silence outside the door for a moment and the shadows of the feet stopped moving.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Johnny raised his voice. If Mark could hear it like Johnny was speaking right next to him even though his voice was traveling so far, he didn’t want to know what it sounded like out in the hallway. “I get that you’re all mad, and for good reason, but he’s a _kid_! As far as I know, none of you gave him a chance to explain himself either.”

“Johnny we—” Jaemin spoke, which meant that Renjun must be there as well, and that Chenle and Jisung couldn’t be far behind.

“Save it, Jaemin.” Mark could almost see Johnny holding up his hand to cut Jaemin off. “Is the Mark inside that office not still your friend and your co-worker? Is he not the same Mark who helped build this company from the ground up with Taeyong? Is he not the same Mark that is your boss that you love working with so much he doesn’t make you call him hyung?”

“We didn’t—” Chenle sniffled, followed by crying that was muffled by both the door and Jisung’s shoulder from the sounds of it.

“Maybe you didn’t mean to, but think about the state Mark is in!” Johnny scolded. “You five know him better than almost anyone. You _know_ that he won’t stop working until he figures this out and you _know_ that he won’t take proper care of himself until the job is finished. He’ll compromise his own health and safety for the sake of the mission. Every time.”

“Donghyuck isn’t just another _mission_ , Johnny!” Jaemin protested.

“Of course not! He’s much more important, to both you as well as Mark.” Johnny’s words struck Mark’s heart. He hadn’t really been thinking about the others and wondering if they were going through as much pain as he was. Forgetfulness can go both ways, he supposed. “Did any of you stop for a second to think about what Mark must be feeling right now?”

Silence.

“I thought not,” Johnny sighed; Mark could almost _see_ him rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. “Let’s go in and talk to him, alright?”

“I think we need to talk to him first, hyung,” Lucas’s voice rang out. Mark didn’t even know that he was there until he spoke.

“Go for it. Just be careful, alright?” Johnny consented. “He’s not as strong as you think he is.”

Mark wanted to snort at that comment, but he knew that Johnny was right and that if he made a noise like that, everyone outside his office would know that he had been listening in all along - which wasn’t something that he wanted.

There was an angry beep from outside the door, meaning that someone had just tried to swipe their badge to get into Mark’s office but it had failed since he had made sure nothing could grant entrance to his office except for his own badge. However, this was an important conversation to have, so Mark got up and strode across the room to open the door, revealing the shocked faces of quite a few of his co-workers. He immediately retreated back inside his office, creating space between himself and everyone else.

“Mark,” Jungwoo breathed, taking a step forward which Mark matched with a step back of his own to maintain their distance. “You look awful.”

“Thanks,” Mark responded dryly, but he knew there was some truth to it.

“Look, Mark,” Lucas stepped in, putting a hand on Jungwoo’s shoulder. “We’re sorry for causing this whole miscommunication and letting you take the fall for it. I should have stepped up and taken the blame for what happened.”

“And what, pray tell, _did_ happen?” Taeyong’s voice sounded from behind Lucas, making Mark jump. That was the first time since Donghyuck’s disappearance that Taeyong had gotten even close to acknowledging Mark’s existence.

“Jungwoo and I were teasing Mark about him and Donghyuck, and I suppose that it must have looked like something a little more intimate from his perspective, which is probably what caused him to bolt,” Lucas explained, his hands fidgeting at his sides.

Taeyong hummed, slipping past Lucas and into Mark’s office to scan the surroundings. When his eyes finally landed on Mark, the young boss felt like Taeyong was looking straight through his soul, making him feel exposed, like he needed layers to cover up the secrets he held inside of him.

“Go home, Mark,” he said, meeting Mark’s eyes at last. “You’re exhausted and you won’t do anyone any good here if you can’t function.”

“I’m not leaving until we find Donghyuck.” Mark clenched his teeth after he spoke, a poor attempt to keep his eyelids from drooping.

“You’re going to have to rest at some point,” Taeyong said. “You’re not invincible, Mark.”

“But—” Mark started, but Taeyong held up a hand to keep him from continuing.

“I’m giving you an explicit instruction to go home and sleep. Disobey and I’ll be forced to put you on leave.” He turned to exit the office, but stopped halfway out the door, looking back. “You’re still important to all of us, Mark. Don’t doubt your worth in our eyes because of this.”

Taeyong left and Mark slumped against the wall behind his desk, rubbing his eyes.

“C’mon, Mark,” Lucas urged, closing the laptop on Mark’s desk. “Let’s get you home.”

Mark didn’t even have the strength to give a verbal reply, just nodded and let his eyes slip shut, all fight having left him. He vaguely registered being picked up by someone, Johnny probably, and being placed in a car.

The next time he was fully conscious again, he was lying in his own bed back at his penthouse, his suit jacket and tie nearly placed over the back of his desk chair but otherwise still fully dressed in his usual work attire.

Mark sat up, running a hand through his messy hair and taking a moment to remember exactly how he got there since the last thing he remembered was being in his office back at _NCT_.

There was a mild throbbing behind his eyes and an ache in his neck, but he otherwise felt better than he had in days. With a quick glance at his phone, which someone had thoughtfully plugged in when they brought him up to his room, he realized that he had slept for over fifteen hours straight and it was mid-morning.

After an unnecessarily hot shower that left Mark’s pale skin rosy and warm along with a change of clothes, he felt much more like a human being. Even though the dark circles still resided starkly under his eyes and his headache hadn’t improved much, Mark deemed himself ready to go back to work.

Until his phone rang, and it was Taeyong telling him exactly what he didn’t want to hear.

“ _You’re not allowed to come back to work today, Mark._ ” His voice was carefully calm and blank, so Mark had absolutely no context of what his boss was feeling. “ _Take a day, get some rest, get some food. Take care of yourself before you try and take care of anyone else._ ”

“You just don’t want me back,” Mark took a shot in the dark as to Taeyong’s reasoning. There was no way that he would keep him away from work for a reason as simple as that. “You don’t want to see my face because it’s my fault he was taken.”

Mark didn’t want to say Donghyuck’s name in case it would make Taeyong somehow even more icy, but his point was well received and there was a tired sigh from the other end of the line.

“ _Mark, I know you don’t want to believe me, but you have to._ ” There was exhaustion seeping into his tone and Mark felt a pang of guilt for pushing the subject. “ _If anyone is as frantic as you to find him, it’s me. Everyone here is doing what they can, but with no leads as of the moment, it’s more important that you rest and return tomorrow in better health and state of mind than you coming back today and ending up in the same position we found you last night._ ”

“Alright…” Mark purses his lips. “Just tell me if you find anything.”

“ _Will do. And Mark?_ ” Taeyong paused. “ _Take care of yourself._ ”

“You too.”

Mark looked down at his feet where he had been halfway through tying his shoes before Taeyong had called, and flopped backwards on his bed, letting his phone fall out of his hand and disappear somewhere into the mess of sheets and blankets.

Letting out a groan of frustration, he took off his shoes and loosened his tie, highly debating actually listening to Taeyong and sleeping some more. As he turned his head sideways to reach for wherever he flung his phone, a flash of gold on his desk pulled his attention away. 

He nearly jumped off of the mattress, rushing over to the other side of the room to examine J’s ring, which he had instructed Chenle to put there when Mark had the younger boy pick up his laptop and a fresh set of clothes the night after the gala so he could stay with Donghyuck. He had forgotten that he had picked it up from the floor of the gala where J had dropped it until just then.

Mark picked it up, carefully examining it again as he sat down in his chair, not caring that his discarded jacket and tie from yesterday slipped off the back and pooled onto the floor behind the seat. He turned the cold ring over in his palm, staring at the crest that was embossed into the metal.

It still stumped him, though. He knew he recognized the crest, but for the life of him couldn’t figure out where he had seen it before. Mark squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force himself to remember where he had seen the symbol of the two eagles perched on a shield with a single rose lying beneath it.

When he opened his eyes and looked back at the crest, it wasn’t where he thought it was. He was staring at an identical crest that was on the seal of an envelope, sitting on the edge of his desk, unopened; having gone untouched for months. The ring was still clutched tightly in his fingers, and that was the only thing that had kept him from dropping it when he gasped at the realization.

The crest on J’s ring was the same as his family crest—the one that is never used unless it has to do with the old family business, which Mark himself had conjoined with _NCT_ years ago. He sat back in his chair, thinking that over.

The company, _Lee Industries_ , was created by his great-great grandfather and had manufactured weapons for military usage. When the company was eventually handed down to his father, its integrity went downhill and it got involved in some less-than-savory operations that Mark had learned about without his father’s knowledge, so the moment his father had left all those years ago with the company in Mark’s name, he shut down all operations that his father had left running.

Mark felt a pang of guilt that he had lied to Donghyuck the first day they met about what happened with his family, but he didn’t exactly want to go into depth about how his father had somehow managed to single-handedly corrupt most of the American government because of the weapons company he created, and then had run away the moment the operations got out of his control. At the time, he thought he had been lying for Donghyuck’s own safety, but he realized now that maybe he had been lying for his own.

For the hundredth time within the past four days, Mark cursed his own carelessness when it came to the boy that had come to mean so much to him.

He reached forward and opened the neglected letter, popping open the seal. At first glance, it appeared like a financial report for the quarter that Mark had never cared to look at because he could find all of that information on his computer as he needed, but he took a closer look at the numbers and knew it was a code. It was an old code that him and his father had developed for when an operation had to be aborted because it had either failed or was going to fail eminently.

The problem was that there hadn’t been any operations in that sector of the company for at least two years, and this letter was dated to just a little over two months ago.

Mark’s mind connected the dots a little slower than he would have liked to.

He hadn’t heard from his father in years, having figured that he went into hiding quite some time ago, but maybe he was wrong. It was a viable possibility that his father was J at this point, and it was a possibility that he had to alert Taeyong of _now_. Disregarding all hard feelings about Donghyuck, Taeyong was the only person that knew of the power and influence Mark’s father had in the underground operations that _NCT_ now dominated. He, if he wasn’t dead already, was a very dangerous man that Mark couldn’t afford to have running around freely.

If J was his father, that would explain why he called Mark ‘ _Minhyung_ ’. His mother had told him a long time ago, during one of her more sober days, that his father wanted to name Mark something traditional if they ever had a kid, and had a great disdain for western names, like ‘Mark’, the nickname he had adopted as a child and legally changed his name to not long after.

Grimacing, Mark examined the ring more, and raised an eyebrow in surprise to see a small light on the inside of the ring blinking a faint orange. Under further scrutiny, a small indent on the backside of the crest, that when pressed on, opened up to reveal a small computer chip.

Now, he had taken the required compsci courses in college and had gotten rather proficient in technology, but knew that Yuta and Sicheng would know so much more about what do with this than anyone else in the company.

Without another second of hesitation, Mark slipped on his shoes, grabbed his suit jacket and was dashing out of the door to the garage. He knew that his Tesla was still in the parking garage of _NCT_ , but that didn’t mean he didn’t have other modes of transportation to use. He snatched the keys to his motorcycle from the hook on the wall, praying that he still remembered how to drive the bike he hadn’t used since the summertime last year.

It was the fastest thing he had that he could legally drive on the street and seeing as he couldn’t afford the time to be pulled over right now, it was the obvious choice. 

Turned out that Mark was just as proficient at driving motorcycles as he had been a year ago, and got back to the company building in ten minutes on a route that usually took twenty. Slightly out of breath with the helmet in his hands, he rushed through the lobby, barely sparing a nod and a smile and the reception desk before he called the elevator down.

The ride down to Yuta’s lab in the basement was excruciatingly long, the ring burning a hole in his pocket the entire time.

“Yuta! Sicheng!” Mark called out, bursting into the cluttered tech lab. Sicheng had tried fruitlessly for years to clean up Yuta’s constant mess, but to no avail. He had only managed to keep his own desk clear, but even that sometimes got taken over by Yuta’s extravagant projects.

“Marko?” Yuta yelled back from the other side of the lab. “Is that you?”

The other reason Mark went to Yuta and Sicheng first, and not one of the Dreamies, was because he knew that they were the most likely to, not _forgive_ him first, but look past his mistake for the benefit of the company as well as Donghyuck.

“Yeah,” Mark lowered his voice as Yuta popped into view, a dirt-streaked lab coat tossed over his arm and a cracked pair of safety glasses on top of his head in typical Yuta-fashion. “I need a favor.”

“I’m not sure you’re in the position to—”

“What can we help you with, Mark?” Sicheng came out from behind the same wall that Yuta did, his arms crossed but his eyes kind. Yuta couldn’t argue with Sicheng, everyone knew that, so Mark breathed out a quiet sigh of relief when him and his crisp, white lab coat and impeccably clean safety glasses stepped into view.

“It’s about J. I might have found a way to track him.” Mark reached into his pocket to pull out the microchip, holding it out for Yuta to examine. “He left a ring behind at the gala that night, and I just discovered this inside.”

Yuta hummed, walking forward to snatch the chip from Mark before going over to his messy desk, pushed haphazardly against the wall to make more space for some half-finished robotics project on the floor in the middle of the room.

“It almost looks like a tracking chip of sorts,” Yuta mumbled more to himself than to Mark as he rummaged around on his desk in search of something. Sicheng cleared his throat from behind, holding out Yuta’s glasses. He responded with a sheepish smile and a blown kiss as he took the glasses and hooked them over his ears so he could take a better look. “I think it’s still transmitting, which means there’s a solid chance that I can backtrace it.”

“Do it.” Mark barely got the words out before the door banged open and Taeyong strode across the room, eyes blazing.

“What the hell are you doing here, Mark?” Taeyong asked; Mark could see Jaehyun trailing behind him, as well as Doyoung and Taeil standing in the doorway.

“I found some evidence that might lead us to Donghyuck, so I brought it in.”

Taeyong appeared as if he was going to argue, but Jaehyun placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed over to Yuta and Sicheng, where they were hunched over a computer, examining the microchip and murmuring amongst themselves.

“I, for one, think it’s a good thing that Mark came in right away.” Jaehyun’s voice was calm in attempt to soothe Taeyong into a more rational state. There was a tense moment of silence before Taeyong’s shoulders visibly deflated and Mark let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

“Fine,” he relented, “Go get some food and take a nap while we wait for them to tell us what they have found.”

Mark hadn’t actually planned on sleeping more, figuring that he had already slept plenty back at home, but he didn’t realize quite how exhausted he still was until his eyes were closing the moment his head hit the cushions of the couch by Sicheng’s desk.

He was awoken not too much later to the smell of ramen and the sound of Yuta’s voice. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he raised his head to see that there was a steaming bowl of ramen on Sicheng’s desk with a little note with Mark’s name on it. He knew that Sicheng had made it since he was the only person in the building who knew his favorite food.

He bit back a smile and scarfed it down as fast as he could, satisfied that his stomach had stopped aching once it had some food in it.

“Hey, Marko! You up?” Yuta yelled from over at his desk and Mark snorted, placing the bowl back where he had found it.

“Nope, still asleep.”

“Well if you were awake, I’d tell you that we found a location…” Yuta sing-songed. Mark bolted across the room in record time, skidding to a halt just beside Sicheng. He noticed that all of the other bosses had gathered on one side of the room, close enough to hear what was going on but not so close as to get in their way.

“How long was I out?” Mark asked; Jaehyun shrugged.

“I don’t know… two hours maybe? We would have woken you up sooner but there were some complicated things to get around, you know, firewalls blah blah blah proxies, the usual,” he responded, clearly unfamiliar with the tech lingo that Mark needed to make sense of what was happening.

“In short,” Yuta jumped in, “This guy doesn’t want to be found. He had three firewalls, two of which almost crashed our systems when we tried to break through at first, but Sicheng did some quick thinking and found the back doors into all of them, and… well we got in.”

“So we found him?” Mark asked, and Yuta frowned.

“Well… I think so, but—” Yuta started, but there was a bang on the door before someone burst in. It took Mark a fraction of a second to recognize the man in his state of distress, so different from the calm and collected man he was so used to seeing.

“ _Minseok_?” Mark exclaimed, straightening up. “What are you doing here? I thought you were all still out of the country!”

The head of _EXO_ ’s communications division holds up a hand, catching his breath. Minseok had been a good friend and mentor of Mark’s for years, and he’d never seen the man so uncharacteristically distraught. His hair was disheveled, his suit coat wrinkled, and there was a frown etched across his features as he took in deep breaths.

“Mark,” he took a breath, “I know where Donghyuck is.”

Taeyong stood from his chair, lips pulled into a thin line.

“We do as well,” he tried to explain, but Minseok wasn’t having any of it.

“No, you don’t.” He shakes his head, his voice steadying. “You know the location where J wants you to _think_ Donghyuck is. He’s not in the _RV_ headquarters like that microchip told you. He is trying to pit you all against each other and that was an awfully effective way to do it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Taeyong’s voice was icy and if it was aimed at Mark, he would have flinched, but Minseok just plowed on.

“Donghyuck is being held captive in one of the abandoned warehouses on Pier 17.”

“In Incheon?” Mark was so confused by the onslaught of information, his foggy mind desperately trying to keep up. “What is he doing there?”

“I’m honestly not sure,” Minseok shrugged, helpless. “But from what I have seen, he’s not in good condition.” Taeyong slams a fist on the table, making most everyone in the room jump.

“ _What the hell do you mean you’ve seen him_?” He shouted, but the _EXO_ boss just raised his hands in defense.

“Not personally of course! I’ve seen some camera footage that I clearly wasn’t supposed to get my hands on. I shouldn’t know this, and no one else know that I do.” He glanced nervously back at the open door, which Doyoung shut without a second’s hesitation. “I don’t think I can trust my own company anymore, so I just came straight to you.”

“Minseok…” Mark frowned. “I think you had better explain yourself a bit more thoroughly.”

Mark wanted to trust Minseok, his mentor, no, his _friend_. He had a gut feeling that he could, but he also knew that Taeyong would need more than just Mark’s intuition as proof that he could trust him. The short man nodded and took a deep breath before launching into his story.

He explained that he had gotten up early that morning with the intention of using the extra time to do some more research into some of _EXO_ ’s old files per Mark’s email request from the night before in hopes that they might have some information on the origins of the Jinsil.

His boss and the CEO of the company, Chanyeol, walked into the basement with a cardboard box full of old analog recordings and VHS tapes, and asked Minseok if he could file them away while he was down here because Chanyeol had to go rush off to a meeting. Naturally, Minseok had agreed.

He didn’t touch the box for a few hours while he combed through his own piles of old files and papers, but when he eventually needed a break, he went to pick up the box and put it away when something slid out and fell onto the ground.

It was a small blue flashdrive with an _S5_ written in marker on it, usually indicating Sector 5 of the company, or the Communications Sector that Minseok was the head of. He was confused because he had never seen the flashdrive before, yet it seemed to be clearly indicating that it was under his jurisdiction. That brought up the question of why Chanyeol had been trying to file it away without him seeing it, but he decided that he needed to see what was on it before he could make any final judgements in that regard.

After filing the rest of the box away, but making a mental note of where it was so he could come back and find it again if he needed, he took the flashdrive back up to his office and plugged it into his computer. There was a single folder with five different video files and a document inside of it, each labeled from _D-Inter-1_ to _D-Inter-5_ —the document remained unnamed. With a second glance at his office door to make sure it was locked, he opened the first video.

The video took a while to load, but when it did, Minseok was greeted with the sight of CCTV camera footage, showing a grainy view of the inside of some sort of warehouse. The label on the edge of the screen told him that it was taken from camera number 85 on Pier 17. The _S5_ on the outside of the flashdrive must have been _85_ at one point, but the marker got rubbed off in transport. The video was dated back to three days ago.

Not much happened in the video for the first five minutes, but the events on the screen escalated so quickly after that Minseok couldn’t bring himself to watch the last ten minutes of it. He cautiously opened each other videos to see what they when they were dated before he closed out of them, one by one, horrified at what he had just seen.

Minseok swallowed his nerves and opened the document. As he read through all twelve pages of it, he became completely shocked. It was a detailed plan of the gala raid, a plan of where and how to hold Donghyuck once he was in the possession, as well as a small note to Chanyeol about how _EXO_ could help in later arrangements, and it all appeared to be written by J himself.

Panicked and wide-eyed, Minseok had closed out of the folded and ejected the flashdrive from his computer, wasting no time in rushing over to _NCT_ immediately.

“I highly wouldn’t recommend looking at the contents of the drive, though,” Minseok spoke slowly, turning a small object over in his hand as he finished his story. “It’s not pleasant.”

“I need to see it, Minseok,” Taeyong demanded, holding out his hand for the flashdrive, which the _EXO_ boss turned over with minimal hesitation.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Taeyong ushered everyone back except for him and Mark, only allowing them to see what was actually on the flashdrive. Minseok was right: for the first five minutes, there wasn’t much happening. An occasional person passed by the screen, but neither Mark nor Taeyong dared to skip forward in case they missed anything.

There was a sudden commotion on one side of the screen and Mark sucked in a breath. It was Donghyuck, unconscious in a chair, being dragged into the center of the room. Taeyong physically reached out to the screen as the tape continued rolling, and the progression of events went downhill from there.

Mark forced himself to look at the screen and absorb everything that the camera was showing, but his stomach wanted to relieve itself of Sicheng’s ramen. Taeyong turned pale; the emotions drained out of his face with the blood at what he was seeing.

“Incheon, you said? Pier 17?” Taeyong asked almost mindlessly as the tape stopped; the recording finished playing back, leaving Mark and Taeyong staring at their reflections in the dark screen. Mark knew that Taeyong had seen enough, and that watching through the other videos weren’t necessary to get the point across of what had happened.

“Yes.” Minseok nodded, walking over to sit down on a chair at the edge of the room, letting his head tip backwards to it was resting against the concrete wall. He looked exhausted, and Mark couldn’t help but think of what repercussions Minseok might get from becoming so involved in this.

“Yuta?” Taeyong turned to the scientist. “We need the bikes.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” he grinned.

“The bikes?” Minseok looked mildly terrified at the prospect of whatever Yuta was talking about, most likely because of that mischievous glint that he tended to get in his eye whenever he had an idea. Mark bit his lip and grimaced as he followed Sicheng and Yuta to the back of the room, motioning for Minseok and the others to come along.

“They’re a little tech project that Yuta has been running under the table for a while. They’re electric motorcycles, built for speed and stealth in relatively short distances.”

“We’ve been trying to develop tech like that for _years_ and haven’t been successful,” Minseok whistled. “How did Yuta think of it?” Mark just shrugged, at a loss for an adequate answer.

“He’s Yuta. The only thing he has more of than money is free time.”

Ahead of them, Yuta made an indignant noise, but Sicheng just slung an arm around his shoulders, which shut up almost unrealistically quickly. The entire group trekked up the stairs through a door in the back of the lab to the second garage which no one used except for Yuta. There were eighteen sleek, black motorcycles lining the walls of the garage, one for each member of _NCT_ if that was how Taeyong and Yuta chose to distribute them.

“Alright everyone.” Taeyong clapped his hands, turning around. “We’re heading out to Pier 17 in Incheon. Grab a helmet and a set of keys, take the fastest route you can without putting yourself in any danger. We will reconvene there in about twenty minutes, traffic prevailing.”

Everyone nodded their heads and began moving about to follow Taeyong’s instructions.

“What do I do?” Minseok nudged Mark nervously. “There’s no way I can go back to the _EXO_ building now.”

“Stay here. Go up to the offices on the fifty-second floor and stay up there until we come back,” Mark suggests. “That’s where you’ll probably be the safest.” Minseok nods numbly.

“Dream!” Taeyong calls, and five heads shoot in his direction. “You are staying back.”

“What? No!”

“C’mon, boss!”

“Taeyong-hyung, really?”

The chorus of complaints echoed around the garage until Taeyong held up his hand to silence them all.

“I want you to stay back so you can monitor our progress from an outside vantage point, and to protect Minseok,” he said. “It’s also to keep you safe. I will not be risking your lives out in the field like this. You’re still minors.”

“I’m not, though!” Jeno protested, crossing his arms. “And neither is Renjun! We can come along.”

Taeyong still didn’t budge on the subject, simply pointing back at the hooks where the five of Mark’s Dreamies had gotten their keys. There was a tense moment of hesitation in the room where Mark was afraid that Jeno might actually try and rebel against Taeyong’s direct orders, but when his shoulders slumped and he started walking back over to the hooks, Mark released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Once the Dreamies and Minseok had cleared out, Taeyong motioned for the rest of the bosses to continue getting ready. Mark was glad that he had ridden his motorcycle back to _NCT_ this morning so he didn’t have to worry about re-teaching himself how to ride them right then.

A moment later, a garage door opened and thirteen identical motorcycles poured out onto the street, whizzing past traffic, all of the riders now in possession of at least one firearm, and in some cases, multiple. As far as _NCT_ was concerned, kidnapping Donghyuck was a veritable declaration of war.

But they were on their way now, speeding over the legal limit, all headed westward with the wellbeing of one person in mind.

Mark just needed Donghyuck to hold on for a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh i promise that everything about poor hyuckie will be explained  
> i also promise that he isn't dead :)


	14. Silence is Golden, but Pissing Off Your Captor is Priceless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck is stubborn  
> Ouch  
> J doesn’t take “I don’t know” for an answer  
> Double Ouch  
> (Take a shot every time Donghyuck loses consciousness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will not apologize for the summary it is the only thing that got me through writing this chapter  
> a little tw! for this chapter! there is a bit of torture,,, but it's not graphic and there's like one singular mention of blood involved so,,, proceed with caution??

When Donghyuck’s mind finally managed to crawl its miserable way back to consciousness, all he could register was the cold. A shiver crept through his body, freezing him to the core even though the last time he had been aware, the weather had been near sweltering.

Slowly, he peeled his eyes open to let in the dim lighting of his surroundings. The first things he registered were the cement walls surrounding him that he could see without even having to lift his head. There was a single, swinging lightbulb overhead that flickered periodically, shedding a small amount of light into the cramped space.

It hit Donghyuck that he had no idea where he was, or how long he had been out. He shifted to sit up, letting out an involuntary groan in pain when his muscles tightened in defiance; he must have been in that same position for quite some time.

His head was pounding, and he tried to ignore the feeling in his gut that this wouldn’t turn out well for him. Instead, Donghyuck did his best to discern whatever clues he could as to where he was. After a few minutes of looking around from his spot on the floor, his best guess was a basement of some sort, due to the cement walls but the ceiling seemed much too high for the room to be underground.

Donghyuck didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, however, because a door creaked open behind him. He turned around as fast as he could without his muscles screaming at him to see J, of all people, slip inside the room.

“Lee Donghyuck,” he greeted, his voice much too benevolent for Donghyuck not to suspect something.

“J.” The way he said the other man’s name was more of a statement than anything, making him chuckle.

“I see you’re alive.” J took the two chairs from the back corner of the room that Donghyuck had failed to notice earlier, walking over with them.

“Barely,” Donghyuck commented with a snort as he tried to roll out his shoulders while J set the two chairs down in the center of the room, taking a seat on one and patting the other for Donghyuck.

“They weren’t supposed to be that harsh with you,” J explained as Donghyuck stood carefully, his knees wobbling slightly as he tried not to stumble over to the seat. “My apologies.”

“After this,” Donghyuck raised an eyebrow, making a vague gesture at the scar on his neck. “You think that chloroform and a bit of rough handling is harsh?”

The comment was made to rile J up a bit, so when he began to laugh instead, Donghyuck was thrown for a loop. He hadn’t been with the man much at all, but it was already irritating him that he couldn’t figure J out, pick him apart until he found out what made him tick.

“I like you,” J responded at last, laughter dying down as the boy sat down gingerly, grimacing when his joints popped audibly.

“Funny,” Donghyuck examined his nails. “I don’t like you.”

Donghyuck had to suppress a smirk of his own when J’s smile fell for the first time since he sauntered into the room with an annoyingly large amount of confidence. The man pursed his lips and the coldness in his eyes seeped into his expression.

“You’d be a valuable asset to my team if you weren’t so hard-headed like your brother.”

“I take pride in my hardheadedness, thank you very much,” Donghyuck scoffed, relaxing back in the chair. “And it’s quite bold of you to assume that I would want to be on your team.”

“Be careful, boy.” J clenched his jaw. “You’re not the one in control.”

“Ah yes, _careful_ ,” Donghyuck mused, head lolling back. “I’m afraid that’s not in my vocabulary.”

“Here’s the deal, we can do this the easy way or the hard way—” J started, but Donghyuck had seen movies; he knew what was going to happen, or at least had a vague idea.

“I feel like neither are going to be particularly pleasant, so do your worst.” Donghyuck just shrugged, raising his head to make eye contact with J just in time for him to nod at someone behind him.

Donghyuck didn’t even have a chance to turn around before a cloth was being placed over his mouth and nose, and before he knew it, he was sinking back into unconsciousness for the second time, the vaguely sweet smell of the chloroform helping him drift off.

Donghyuck came into consciousness and once again, had no concept of how long he had been out. He was still in the chair that J had knocked him out in, but there were a couple of obvious discrepancies between how he was then and how he was now.

His hands were bound behind the back of the chair, his ankles tied to the front legs of it. Donghyuck felt colder than he had when he had first found himself in the room, and looked down to see that the silken button-up that he had worn to _Bad Dracula_ was gone and his chest was bare.

That, and he was soaking wet.

“You were taking irritatingly long to wake up, so I took matters into my own hands.” J walked around in front of Donghyuck’s chair, tossing an empty bucket to the side as he watched Donghyuck splutter and shake the water off of his face.

“That’s what happens when you knock someone out,” Donghyuck snarked, but faltered when pain flared up in his shoulders. He winced as he flexed them, the muscles having gone stiff from the inordinate amount of time being tensed up in the same position, but he froze in the process. Slowly, Donghyuck looked over his shoulder to see two black patches stuck on the skin, wires running out from them.

“I see you’ve noticed my little experiment,” J gingerly sat himself back down in the chair across from Donghyuck.

“What the _hell_ …” Donghyuck itched to touch the patches, to take them off, but his restrained hands kept him from doing so.

“These wires create a pulse that stimulates your nerves, or tricks them, if you will, into thinking that you’re feeling immense pain while no physical harm actually comes to your body.”

“You’re psychotic!” Donghyuck looked at him, wide-eyed.

“No, I’m just here to obtain the truth.” J stared right back, unblinking.

Something clicked in Donghyuck’s brain.

“The truth. Jinsil. That’s what that means!” The realization dawned upon him.

“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” J settled himself in his seat. “Now are you smart enough to do the correct thing and trust me?”

“I’ve literally been both threatened _and_ kidnapped by you,” Donghyuck snorted. “So I’m going to have to go with everyone else I know on this one and say that I shouldn’t trust you.”

“No, you shouldn’t trust Mark,” J leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “You don’t know everything.”

“Neither do you,” Donghyuck pointed out, shoving his fear down because he knew that J would only feed off of it.

“I know more than you, Donghyuck, so when I tell you that Mark isn’t who he says he is and that you should be more careful around him, you should heed my words.” He leaned in close, his breath would have ruffled Donghyuck’s hair if it wasn’t plastered to his forehead.

“You’ve given me absolutely no reason to trust you.”

“And yet you’re still listening,” J taunted, dark eyes glinting.

That was the moment Donghyuck snapped.

He spat straight in J’s face.

When he reeled back, Donghyuck felt a glimmer of satisfaction, but when he started to chuckle darkly, he knew that he probably should have thought over his actions for a split second before spitting on his captor’s face.

J took a handkerchief out of his pocket with a flourish, wiping carefully across his cheek and forehead.

“I _was_ going to do this the pleasant way, but it looks like that is completely out of the question.” J grabbed Donghyuck’s chin between his fingers, clutching it with a bruising force. “Tell me everything you know about _NCT_ ’s operations, or you will experience firsthand what those wires on your back can do to a person.”

“What are you talking about?” Donghyuck glared. “I don’t know anything!” The words came out a bit muffled because of the way J was holding his face, but the message got across. J narrowed his eyes right back.

“Let’s see how long you can stay stubborn.” J let go of Donghyuck, almost tossing his chin to the side and knocking the entire chair off-balance. He sent a nod directed over Donghyuck’s shoulder, the boy turning his head just in time to see one of J’s lackey’s flip a switch on the board.

It was as if every fiber of his body had been lit on fire and crushed under the weight of the entire world. In short, the most painful thing Donghyuck had ever experienced, his veins filling with molten lava as he convulsed within his bindings.

It couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, but it felt like hours before he finally slumped down in the chair, the pain disappearing just as quickly as it came.

“Would you like another taste?” J asked, leveling his face with Donghyuck’s. “Or are you ready to talk?”

“I told you I don’t know anything!” Donghyuck tried to keep his voice from shaking as he defended himself.

“You have to! You must!” J straightened up, backing away.

“Well I don’t!” Donghyuck exclaimed, frustrated. “I can’t tell you something I don’t know!”

“ _Liar!_ ” J hissed. “He must have told you!”

“Who must have—” He cut himself off with his own scream when J’s lackey flipped the switch on the board again.

That round was so powerful that Donghyuck knocked his chair backwards when he arched his body against his bindings, unsure if he passed out from the pain or his head hitting the cement floor. He opened his eyes to see J grinning down at him sadistically.

“Can’t have you dying just yet, now can we?”

Donghyuck’s vision swam, and he felt something warm and viscous run down the back of his scalp and neck—most likely blood from where his head hit the ground. He was sitting back upright in the chair, someone must have righted it while he was out, and he couldn’t sense the wired patches on his back anymore.

“I feel dead enough for the both of us,” Donghyuck quipped sluggishly, still regaining his bearings.

“I don’t think you do, otherwise you’d tell me what they told you.”

“They didn’t tell me anything! I don’t even know who ‘they’ are!” If Donghyuck could have thrown his hands up the air in exasperation, he would have without a second’s hesitation.

“I’m getting sick of you fooling around.” J’s finger twitched at his side, the only visible sign that he was slowly losing his cool.

“Me fooling around? Do you think that the company will be fooling around when they come to find me, which they will, and tear you to shreds for touching me?” Donghyuck knew he should stop, but he was on a roll and seeing J’s face get progressively more purple gave him an unparalleled sense of satisfaction. “You aren’t going to get to know _anything_. Taeyong and Mark are already looking for me, and you had better run away from this country if you want to be safe from my brother’s wrath. You are insignificant and you know _nothing_.

J snarled, reaching forward to yank Donghyuck’s head back by an iron grip on his hair, their gazes meeting.

“You have one last chance to tell me what _NCT_ has told you about their project.”

“And this is the one last time I’m telling you that I _don’t fucking know anything_!” Donghyuck growled. J just gave him a cruel smile before letting go, stepping backwards.

“I gave you a choice, Donghyuck,” he said, almost teasing. Donghyuck felt his stomach twist into a dozen different knots at the thought of what was to come, but never once let his glare waver.

“I can’t decide if you’re brave or just a complete imbecile.” J shook his head, beginning to walk out of the room.

“I’m a lovely mix of both, thanks for asking—” Donghyuck couldn’t finish his retort before J stalked back over and stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth to gag him. Even though he couldn’t talk anymore, Donghyuck let the look in his eyes speak volumes.

“I’m not a huge fan of screams.” J flashed him a sardonic smile before spinning on his heel and walking away. “Put him out, boys.” He didn’t even turn around when he said it—simply opened the door and left without another word.

It was just him and two burly men left in the room, one of which reconnected the wires, to Donghyuck’s chest this time, and the other stayed at the panel. The latter of the men turned a couple of dials, which Donghyuck was sure were meant to make this as painful as possible. The lackey putting on his wires backed away carefully after he finished, and all Donghyuck could do was clench his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut, knowing there was nothing more to do but wait for the pain to come.

The next time he woke up, he couldn’t move a muscle. Donghyuck struggled for a few moments to open his eyes, but they felt like lead. His mouth was dry; at least the handkerchief was gone, but his nerves felt like they had been stuck in a pan and fried for hours, which they more or less actually had been.

The man working the panel had kept the voltage lower, unlike what he had been expecting, but kept it on for so long that Donghyuck had eventually passed out from the pain. He vaguely registered one of his muscles twitch, but didn’t concern himself with it. He simply just kept his cheek resting against the concrete floor where it was and willed himself to just sleep.

Donghyuck might have actually achieved that if the door to the room hadn’t banged open a few moments later, the commotion from outside the room ringing against the walls, making his head throb.

“Get up!” A firm kick to the chair. J. “Get up you insolent whelp!”

“Sorry,” Donghyuck lazily smiled into the floor, not bothering to open his eyes. “I’m a little stuck right now.”

The next thing he knew, he was being wrenched up by his neck, windpipe being crushed slowly by pressing fingers.

“Don’t play coy with me right now, boy,” he barked. “Now is not the time for your childish remarks.”

Donghyuck wanted to make a comment about how any time is a good time for his childish remarks, but choked down the retort because the repercussions wouldn’t be worth it. He forced open his eyes as J tore off the wires from his chest and began to drag the chair backwards out of the door.

As he is pulled down a short hallway and out another door that led outside, Donghyuck realized that he had been in a warehouse on a wharf, surrounded by identical warehouses all along the edge for almost as far as he could see. He had lost all concept of time at some point when in that room, but it was nighttime outside when he finally emerged.

J dropped the chair back onto all four legs, and it became abundantly clear that he lost his shoes somewhere along the way, leaving him in just his jeans as protection against the cold wind coming from the sea.

A quick scan of the area told him nothing other than that the chair was at the very edge of the pier and there were absolutely no signs that indicated where they were. There was a tense moment of silence before a gunshot resounded and all hell broke loose, but he just couldn’t see any of it because all of the sounds were coming from the other wide of the wharf.

A lot of yelling followed, done by familiar voices, and Donghyuck let himself relax because they were here. _NCT_ came for him and he’d be safe in no time. He closes his eyes, partially from exhaustion and partially from relief, but for the second time a door crashing open startled him from the rest that he so severely wanted.

That time it wasn’t J in the doorway, no, it was Mark standing there, silhouetted from the light inside the warehouse that Donghyuck had been dragged out of earlier. The door shut behind him and he met Mark’s unwavering gaze, his eyes no longer shadowed by the backlighting.

He started forward, but J gripped Donghyuck’s shoulder and tipped the chair back over the edge of the pier until it was just on the two back legs. Donghyuck lost his footing on the ground, completely at J’s mercy.

“I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you, Minhyung,” J warned. Mark gave a start at the name, but narrowed his eyes and slowly pulled a gun out from behind him. J just laughed. “You might not want to do that either. If I let go, then _plop_ goes young mister Lee here.”

With a scowl, Mark lowered his gun, but didn’t even hide the fact that he didn’t put it away.

“Let him go, J.”

“That’s not my name,” J clicked his tongue. “You should know better.”

Mark squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, heaving a breath.

“Let him go, father,” he said after a long pause, sounding resigned. J laughed again, but didn’t tilt Donghyuck’s chair up.

“You’re a smart boy, Minhyung.”

“No,” Mark flashed him a smirk. “You’re just not as smart as you think you are.”

“What do you mean by that?” Donghyuck couldn’t see J’s face, but he could hear the contemplative frown in his voice.

“You dropped a ring the first night you made an appearance. It has my old family crest on it,  and there’s only one like it in the world,” Mark took a breath. “The one my father used to wear on his own finger.”

“Ah.” J rubbed at his ring finger resting on Donghyuck’s shoulder with his free hand. “I suppose that would give it away.” Donghyuck finally managed to spit the handkerchief out of his mouth, and glared at the two of them.

“Are you two kidding me?” Donghyuck could only be glad that his throat still had the capacity to form words, no matter how scratchy they were. “You two are seriously going to have some sort of deranged family reunion instead of dealing with the matter at hand?”

Donghyuck craned his neck up to see J, who just looked at him derisively. He reached down to carefully pluck the makeshift gag out of Donghyuck’s lap, stuffing the cloth back into his mouth.

“He talks so much,” J shook his head, an unnerving smirk flitting across his thin lips. “But it’s always about the wrong things.” Even from that distance, Donghyuck could see the tension rippling through Mark’s body.

“Let him _go_ ,” Mark snarled, the grip on his gun going white-knuckled. J tilted his head, mockingly tapping his chin in faux contemplation.

“No.”

Mark made a low sound in his throat, something akin to a growl, and took a step forward. J just clicked his tongue and leaned Donghyuck’s chair a little farther back. He could feel the two legs still on the ground threatening to slide on the slippery deck of the wharf.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Why are you just holding him there?” Mark made the mistake of letting the faintest hint of desperation seep into his words, and Donghyuck saw the victory on J’s face before Mark had even finished what he was saying. “What are you trying to gain from him?”

“I’m not trying to gain anything from him anymore, no,” J said, unbothered. “He’s proved himself useless.”

“He is not useless—” Mark started, but J just held up the hand that wasn’t clenched around Donghyuck’s shoulder, cutting him off.

“I’m holding him here so you’ll listen to me.” J’s voice was placating in an almost patronizing way that unsettled Donghyuck. “We have important matters to discuss, you and I.”

“No subject is more important than Donghyuck,” Mark snorted, raising his gun once again to take deadly aim at J.

“Young love,” J hummed scornfully, but made no reaction to the gun being pointed right at him. He simply smiled and tightened his fingers around Donghyuck’s shoulder, making him have to fight not to twist away in pain. “What about your mother, then?”

“My what?” The barrel of the gun wavered just slightly.

“Your mother, Minhyung,” J smiled, yet his eyes never lost their emptiness. “She’s been wanting to see you for quite some time.”

“You’re lying.” Mark shook his head as if to keep J’s words from sticking.

“Would you like to see her? She’s waiting for you.”

Donghyuck would have thought that J was unaffected by Mark’s unwillingness to believe him if it weren’t for the fingers twitching on his skin.

“You’re bluffing, J.” Mark sounded much more sure of himself that time, his voice didn’t waver. Donghyuck couldn’t read the emotion flickering across his face before it returned to its original stonny facade.

The whole encounter was taking a little too long for the uneasiness in Donghyuck’s stomach to settle, so he quietly began to work his wrists out of their bindings. He had been surprised but not unhappy that J hadn’t been smart enough to use zip ties and got to work trying to unravel the complicated knot that he couldn’t see.

He tuned out most of the conversation J and Mark were having in favor of subtly struggling out of his bonds. Donghyuck rolled his opposite shoulder back as inconspicuously as possible, trying not to give any physical reaction when his nerves lit on fire, pain flooding through the entire right side of his body in order to get his wrist at the right angle to wiggle out of the rope.

Not a moment later, Donghyuck felt the rope slip away from the widest part of his wrist and off of his hand, just barely catching it before it hit the deck of the pier. He let out a shaky breath through his lips that could easily be played off as fear of the situation and not a product of the massive adrenaline rush he was having.

“—and he means more to me than you ever did.” Mark was finishing up some long-winded speech about how much more he cared about his chosen family than his real one that had abandoned him.

Unfortunately, as much as it may have been true, that must have been the breaking point for J’s patience. The air was stiflingly silent, the wind having disappeared for the fraction of a second that none of the three men moved on the wharf, no gunshots echoing in the warehouse.

The calm before the storm, because it all happened in the blink of an eye right after.

J let go of Donghyuck’s shoulder and the chair stayed there for a moment, balanced on two legs.

“Whoops,” J said, the only emotion evident in his voice was amusement.

With the poke of a finger on the center of Donghyuck’s chest, he was sent tumbling over the edge of the wharf. He caught a glimpse of Mark chasing after him, but he knew that he was already too far off of the edge to be pulled back.

When Donghyuck closed his eyes, he could almost trick himself into thinking that this was just a downhill portion of a rollercoaster. He took a deep breath, but most of it was smacked out of his lungs when he hit the water with his back. He struggled against the bindings on his ankles as he sank into the pier.

The pressure built up in his ears as he descended into the water, and he managed to wrangle one of his feet free before his lungs started to burn. He rushed to get his other ankle released, but his movements were sluggish and slow, hindered by the weight of the water.

A thump signified that the chair had hit the bottom of the pier, and as he watched the bubbles from his mouth float upward toward the surface, Donghyuck spotted something else: a shadowy figure he vaguely could make out as Mark swimming down towards him.

He felt the burning sensation in his lungs grow unbearable as Mark landed next to him, tugging at the remaining rope, holding onto the back of the metal chair to give him leverage. Donghyuck let water fill his lungs as his leg got pulled free, and let darkness overcome his vision as Mark tugged him up to the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha please don't kill me,,, i told you things would get worse before they got better :)

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on my socials about anything <3
> 
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